Advice from Jonathan Yabut
Advice from Jonathan Yabut
“ I realised when I was younger , I wanted to become everything . I wanted to become a lawyer , doctor , painter , and the next singer in the Philippines . But one day when I was a 17 year-old freshman at the University of Philippines , I touched my right breast and found a big lump there . My mother thought it was a pimple but it was actually a cyst . I clearly remember what the doctor said : “ Jonathan , it ’ s a cyst and we have to take it out because it could be breast cancer . We have to find out whether it ’ s benign or malignant .” That was the scariest time of my life . I kept asking myself , “ Why , of all people , should I be the one bearing this kind of problem ?” Thankfully , the cyst was benign - this is why I ’ m here , sharing this lesson with all of you . That experience made me realise that sometimes , you have to make that one big leap . If you want something so bad , you have to strike while the iron is still hot because you never know when the clock will stop ticking for you . You may be laughing today , but tomorrow you may be dead . I hope that all of you realise that there is a certain point in your life when you have to make that one decision and say , “ I ’ m going to commit to this and I ’ m going to get it right .” That ’ s what makes successful people successful .”
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR WINNERS
FICTION WRITING , 13 – 17 YEARS OLD :
1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place
: Chin Yoki , Sri Cempaka International School : Siti Azren Fazyani Binti Mohd Faisal , SMK Membakut II : Jacey Hen Hue Tyng , SMK Seri Bintang Utara
FICTION WRITING , 18 – 21 YEARS OLD :
1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place
: Abigail Shannon Chua , Kolej Yayasan Saad International School : Adhlin Fadhlina Binti Hazran , UiTM Shah Alam : Kirenraj A / L Rajendran , SMK Penang Free
NON-FICTION WRITING , 13 – 17 YEARS OLD :
1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place
: Rachel Ng Qian Ying , KLC Resource Centre : Sindhiya Devi A / P Anbananthan , SMK Perempuan Methodist Ipoh : Mohamad Azri Bin Ismail , SMK Dato Biji Wangsa
NON-FICTION WRITING , 18 – 21 YEARS OLD :
1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place
: Nur Afiqah Dalili Binti Mohd Fadzil , CFS IIUM : Ahmad Hariz Bin Ahmad Hilmi , CFS IIUM : Nur Amirah Binti Md Nor , CFS IIUM
18 PERDANA MAGAZINE 2016