KUALA NERUS: While his peers have just received the PT3 (Form 3) Assessment results, he is undertaking research at the doctorate level (PhD) in collaboration with a team at a university in Germany.
With a mind of a 24-year-old, Muhammad Amir Rafiq Mohd Rafee, 15, from Kemaman said he was fortunate to be selected by Leibniz University in Hannover, Germany to pursue a research study in Theoretical Computer Science.
“I’ve been interested in computer science which I find challenging yet fun since I was 12. That’s why I want to learn more about this field.
“Fortunately, the university (Leibniz University) accepts undergraduate researchers like me. They don’t even care that I don’t have a degree yet because what is important to them is the research I’m doing,” said Muhammad Amir Rafiq, who has spent two months at the university together with his father Mohd Rafee Harith.
The Kolej Genius @ Pintar Negara student was met at the Terengganu Genius Child Research seminar at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, here yesterday.
The seminar, which brought together about 70 intelligent teenagers from Terengganu, was held to provide exposure and encourage them to conduct more research and studies specifically on Terengganu.
Among the high achievers was Muhammad Amir Rafiq, who was selected to represent Malaysia and was the youngest participant at ‘The 2019 International Philosophy Olympiad’ in Rome, Italy in May.
The elder of two siblings plans to take the A-Level exams and will apply to pursue a Bachelor’s degree at any university in the United States next year.
Asked about his life as a genius, Muhammad Amir Rafiq said he regarded his thinking ability as a gift from God that would benefit not only himself but also the community.
“One of my fondest childhood memories was when I was four years old I loved reading my grandfather’s medical encyclopaedia. I also have the ability of ‘scanning’ and remembering every fact I read,” he said.
His father Mohd Rafee, 50, said he began to notice his son’s talent when Muhammad Amir Rafiq could read and write at the age of three.
“When he was two and a half years old I taught him the ‘ABC’ only once. The following day he appeared to know and remember all the letters from A to Z. From there I saw my son had a gift so I just observed him.
“He knew how to ‘troubleshoot’ computers when he was five. But raising him cost a lot of money because he doesn’t play games like other kids. He just reads books and plays with gadgets,” said the self-employed Mohd Rafee.
His mother, Azriza Abd Latif, 43, a private company employee, admitted that her son had weaknesses in communication skills and socialising with his peers.
“Anything that is technical-related is his forte. But anything that involves soft skills like shaking hands with people has to be reminded many times. He also doesn’t have many friends because his mentality is eight or nine years older than his peers. So we need to keep an eye on him,” she said.
Muhammad Amir Rafiq’s younger sister Aina Batrisyia, 13, is also blessed with having a mind that is five years ahead of her age and is also a student at Kolej Genius @ Pintar Negara. - Bernama
