Top student in M’sia dies weeks shy of 23rd birthday after 10-month battle with leukaemia
A 23-year-old student at the University of Malaya who obtained a perfect score in a national pre-university examination has died after a 10-month battle with leukaemia.
According to Malaysian news outlet Sin Chew Daily, Cindy Wong Xin Yee was one of 13 students who achieved a perfect score of 4.0 in the 2022 Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) exam — Malaysia’s national pre-university exam widely recognised as an equivalent to the GCE A-Level.
While collecting her results in 2023, she shared that she intended to pursue a career as a Japanese translator, and subsequently enrolled in the University of Malaya’s Japanese Language and Linguistics programme.
However, she fainted due to severe abdominal pain in mid-2025, and was diagnosed with late-stage leukaemia in October of the same year.
Wong died at 3.11am on July 18 at the University of Malaya Medical Centre, just three weeks before her 23rd birthday.
Student ‘deeply inspired’ others: University pays tribute
Despite undergoing treatment, Wong remained committed to her studies.
In a Facebook post on July 19, the University of Malaya’s Languages and Linguistics department said that Wong was in the final stage of her studies when tragedy struck.
“Despite facing a long illness, frequent hospital stays, and a recent bone marrow transplant at PPUM, she remained deeply committed to her education. She consistently attended online classes and completed her assignments whenever she could,” the post read.
“Her strength and dedication deeply inspired her lecturers and classmates.”
The university also said it is providing financial aid to Wong’s family.
Friend describes her as optimistic, cheerful
Speaking to Sin Chew Daily, Wong’s close friend, Fu Yiyang (transliterated) described her as an optimistic and cheerful person.
According to Fu, Wong had originally planned to apply for an exchange programme to Japan in late 2025, but postponed it due to visa issues, and was ultimately unable to go.
Fu added that Wong’s boyfriend, Ray (transliterated), resigned from his job to take care of her after the diagnosis, and had even arranged for friends to sing Japanese songs for Wong during the funeral.
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