Malaysia
UM confirms 12-year-old prodigy Izz Imil Shahrom’s historic enrolment, asks for space and privacy from public
Izz Imil Sharom (centre) with Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir (second from right) and UM vice chancellor Professor Datuk Seri Dr Noor Azuan Abu Osman (left). — Picture via Facebook/Universiti Malaya

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 — The University of Malaya (UM) has confirmed yesterday that 12-year-old Izz Imil Shahrom has enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Mathematics programme at the university's Faculty of Science, following previous media reports.

UM Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Seri Dr Noor Azuan Abu Osman said Izz was accepted into the programme following an interview conducted by a special committee appointed by the university, with his admission later approved by the UM Senate.

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"Considering Izz’s young age, the university requests all parties to give him space and privacy to pursue his learning and to adapt to university life.

"This is important for him to have a conducive environment for growth and his learning,” Noor Azuan said in a statement last night.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, who paid Izz a visit at the campus on Sunday, said UM has drawn up several plans to provide a conducive learning environment for the young prodigy.

"Izz is just like other children of his age. Friendly and speaks very fluently. He has a deep interest in mathematics as our conversation revolved mostly around numbers,” Zambry wrote on Facebook yesterday.

Izz’s entry into UM drew attention after Professor Fatimah Kari, who serves at the university’s Faculty of Economics and Administration, posted about his extraordinary academic achievements on her Facebook on Saturday.

The post, however, has been taken down for reasons unknown, leading to uncertainties about Izz’s enrolment.

When contacted yesterday, Fatimah asked Malay Mail to verify the matter with the university’s corporate communications department.

Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, also congratulated Izz on Sunday for making Malaysian history as the youngest undergraduate at UM since its inception in 1962.

When he was six years old, Izz enrolled in Form 1 at the Permata Pintar programme to hone prodigies pioneered by Rosmah in April 2009 at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

He later completed his O-Levels at age eight and his A-Levels at 11 and also received a certificate from the John Hopkins Centre for Talented Youth.

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