A 79-year-old Malaysian man and grandfather of 17 has graduated from the National University of Malaysia (UKM) with a PhD in Malay literature, despite facing many challenges along the way.

Muharam Awang's story was highlighted in a university Facebook post on Nov. 28 and an interview with Sinar Harian, speaking of the difficulties he faced in earning his doctorate, including needing to get cataract surgery.

Faced challenges

Muharam, a retired teacher, lives in Melaka and had to commute back and forth to Bangi, Selangor, where UKM's campus is located.

He also had to ask one of his children, who lives in Johor, to help him type up his thesis for research.

Reading was also a difficulty, as Muharam was suffering from blurred vision due to cataracts.

"My eyes were blurry and I couldn't read when I wanted to complete my thesis," he said. However, he was determined not to let that stop his studies.

Muharam went for cataract surgery in May earlier this year, and managed to complete his thesis after his sight recovered.

The hard work paid off, as Muharam earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Malay Literature) degree at UKM's Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities.

In their Facebook post, the university said that Muharam could hopefully serve as a source of inspiration for younger students.

Top image from UKM Facebook post.