KUALA LUMPUR: Halimahton Yusof, the mother of wayward Mathematics genius Sufiah Yusof will be offering her advice to the Permata Negara and Permata Pintar programmes to help guide gifted children along the right path in life.
She said parents of gifted children should teach them basic values and not concentrate only on their academic performance.
Among the values she stressed was having respect for others, especially their parents.
“Respect for elders is very important but this is a dying trait. I just hope Malaysian children will not follow in that direction,” she said after meeting Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor at the Prime Minister’s private residence here yesterday.
Serious business: Tosmah speaking to Halimahton and her son Iskandar Yusor about the Permata programme at the Prime Minister's private residence in Kuala Lumpur. The Prime Minister’s wife, who is Permata Negara policy working committee chairman, approached Halimahton to help in the programme after reading a news report of her pleading for Sufiah’s return to the family.
Sufiah, 24, was accepted into Oxford University at the age of 12 but did not complete her studies when she got married and later divorced.
She was found working as a prostitute last year but has since stopped. She is now helping underprivileged children in London.
Halimahton said she prayed for Sufiah to practice Islamic values and reunite with the family in Malaysia.
“If I gave up, I would be crying but I am not. This (the Permata programmes) is the best way for me to move on,” she said.
Rosmah said Halimahton would help improve the syllabus and teaching methods in the programmes.
She said Halimahton’s contribution to the programmes was a voluntary effort and that a lot could be learnt from her experience in raising her five children, all of whom are geniuses.
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