Abang Jimmy’s hostel years shaped his leadership
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Abang Jimmy, now a senior leader in the energy sector, spent his high school years living at Kolej Datu Patinggi Abang Haji Abdillah in Kuching, Malaysia.
Growing up in a financially constrained family in Kampung Melayu Tebakang, he understood the hardships faced by students relying on limited resources. He remembered a childhood where families shared food sparingly and made use of everything available from the surrounding environment.
Abang Jimmy approached education as a means to attend a local university, dedicating himself to his studies at the hostel, often studying until late at night. Unexpectedly, strong performance on trial examinations led to scholarship offers, including one that enabled him to study overseas. He accepted and built a career exceeding his initial ambitions.
Years later, Abang Jimmy visited SMK Pusa in Betong after its hostel blocks were upgraded, recognizing the importance of improvements like ceiling fans, washing machines, and proper beds. He believes hostel life fosters independence, resilience, and time management skills, qualities as important as academic knowledge. The recent upgrades at SMK Pusa have coincided with increased enrollment, from 205 to 230 students, and improved academic performance, with all students passing their SPM exams and one achieving 8As.
