Nine-Year-Old Receives Award For Saving Family From Fire
The young boy was awarded the Hang Tuah Medal in conjunction with the National Children’s Day 2023 Celebration.
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Altamis Faiz Shahrullizam is one brave young boy! The nine-year-old saved his whole family from a fire that broke out at their home in Bandar Sri Coalfields, Selangor last September.
For displaying great bravery and courage, Altamis was honoured with the Hang Tuah Medal at Monday’s National Children’s Day celebration.
As he told reporters at the event, he was in his room with his brother during the time of the incident. His parents and three of his other siblings were in their own bedrooms sleeping when the fire broke out at 4am.
Altamis, fortunately, woke up to the smell of the smoke.
“I was awakened by a very strong smell of smoke and quickly woke up my parents and other siblings.
“I vividly remember the incident – I was terrified but somehow managed to gather up the courage,” he said upon receiving the title from Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
When asked how he knew to be proactive in the situation, he attributes it to watching Upin & Ipin for teaching him how to do so.
“In an episode of my favourite cartoon Upin & Ipin, there was a fire drill and I remember a fireman character telling the kids to run and shout when there is a fire- and I followed that advice,” he noted.
Although 70% of the house was damaged by the fire, Altamis’s mother, Fazreen Ismail, is very proud of her son for taking such a brave initiative. She is also pleased that none of her family members were injured.
In addition to the medal, Altamis was also awarded a cash award of RM5,000.
Meanwhile, the Anugerah Gemilang Kebudayaan dan Kesenian was conferred to Ahmad Mikhail Damsal Abdul Hakim and Anugerah Gemilang Sukan to Emelda Camalia Abd Razak.
Anugerah Gemilang OKU was presented to 13-year-old Nurr Arissa Irdinani Azizi.
Annual celebration
The National Children’s Day celebration is held annually to commemorate the remarkable achievements of young children. Since its inception in 1959, the ceremony has awarded numerous accolades to children across the country.
For every celebration per year, a specific theme is held to celebrate the event. For this year, it was within the framework of children’s rights, as it was themed “Our Rights Our Future.”
Almost 400 children from across the country attended the event.
As for Altamis’s award, the Hang Tuah award is also a part of the event’s tradition. The award has been given out to young recipients since 1960 for displaying great courage and excellence.
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