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Foodpanda Rider By Day & Student By Night, This Malaysian Finally Earns His PhD After 4 Years

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Siti Aishah Ahmad •  Oct 04, 2021

In the early mornings of September 27th 2021, a Malaysian Foodpanda rider posted an inspiring Facebook post on a public FoodPanda Rider Malaysia page and his story immediately caught the attention of the netizens as he finally completed his PhD studies in pharmaceutical technology from Universiti Malaysia Pahang. Until today, the post has garnered almost 7K likes and 1K shares.

Credit: Mohd Akmal on Facebook

According to New Straits Times and The Smart Local, prior to becoming a rider in Pahang, Mohd Akmal Azhar completed his bachelor's and master's degree at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in Skudai, Johor. He then became a lecturer for 6 years at UMP, where he received from the university, a three-year scholarship to pursue his doctorate's degree in 2017.

However, he had to support himself in his fourth and final year. Not only that, Akmal is happily married with one wife and 5 children, with a sixth one coming soon. This prompted him to sign up as a Foodpanda rider in order to support his family and studies. He worked for six to eight hours daily as a rider but focused on his dissertation in the late hours of the night. After four years, Akmal finally completed his PhD studies.

Credit: Mohd Akmal on Facebook

He said to NST that it was tough to juggle time between his studies, family and a full-time job but he couldn't be picky with work as he had to earn an income. Now that he has earned his Phd, Akmal has plans to become a lecturer again at his alma mater, UMP but currently, he will continue to deliver food to customers.

Malaysians who know juggling between work and study, particularly during the pandemic is a major challenge. But with Akmal's story, it is not impossible to achieve your dreams as long as you work hard and smart for them.

Read more real experience by Muslims all around the world to kindle the motivation inside you: