Pix: Najmi Nor’Azam
JOHOR BARU: A snake bite that cost him his right leg at the age of 12 did not stop Dr Mohd Suharizal Mahamad Subri from earning a PhD, driven by his late mother’s advice to pursue his education.
The 49-year-old, who graduated with a PhD in Facilities Management from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), said his mother, Che Yoh Hashim, had constantly encouraged him to study hard despite his physical disability.
Suharizal, a senior mechanical engineer with the Public Works Department’s (PWD) Integrated Asset branch, said he lost his right leg below the hip after being bitten by a pit viper.
His mother, who died in 2011, did not live to see him earn his master’s degree or doctorate.
“My mother’s words stayed with me and motivated me to pursue higher education,” he said when met at UTM’s 70th convocation ceremony in Skudai.
He also overcame low self-esteem by staying active in sports, particularly golf, and joining the Adaptive Golf Club for players with disabilities.
“Being a person with disabilities is not a limitation, but a difference. Everyone faces different challenges, but we must keep moving forward,” he said.
Another UTM PhD recipient, Dr Azizul Abd Ghani, 43, also refused to let his disability stand in the way of his academic achievements.
Azizul, who has permanent impairment in his left eye, earned a doctorate in Land Administration and Development while working as a senior executive at Water Asset Management Incorporated (PAAB).
He said he underwent eye surgery in August 2024 while pursuing his PhD, which he began in March 2021.
His left eye had been permanently impaired following a high fever when he was three, while his right eye recovered.
He said his wife, Nur Fatin Adilah Mohd Yusoff, 33, and their four children had been his main sources of support throughout his studies.
UTM’s six-day 70th convocation, which began yesterday, will see 7,369 graduates receive their qualifications, including 680 PhD holders, 1,614 master’s degree recipients, 4,228 bachelor’s degree graduates and 778 diploma holders.