12-YEAR-OLD BOY REELS IN NEARLY RM30,000 FROM FISHING HOBBY

A Year Six student from Kampung Dengir, near here, has struck gold with his fishing hobby, earning him RM30,000 in prize money from various competitions this year. Muhammad Alif Irfan Ahmad Numan, 12, landed his biggest catch last Thursday, winning a whopping RM20,000 after reeling in a massive 5.4-kilogramme catfish, or ikan keli. 'In the competition, I used a rod with homemade chicken bait prepared by my mother. Almost immediately, a fish was caught on the hook,' the Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Bukit Puteri pupil told Bernama when met at his home here yesterday. Muhammad Alif Irfan shared that his second biggest prize was RM5,000, which he won in a fishing competition in Setiu just a week before the recent Hari Raya Aidil Adha. The second of four siblings said he often goes fishing with his stepfather, Mohd Farid Kadir, 32, and his mother, Nor Khaizan Hasan, 36, who also shares a passion for fishing. Meanwhile, Nor Khaizan expressed gratitude that his son's hobby, started at the age of eight, now brings i n extra income and contributes to the boy's savings. 'With the RM20,000 he won last week, I bought a motorcycle for my son's future needs and shared some with a family member. I set aside the rest in the bank for Muhammad Alif Irfan's savings,' said the mechanic. Source: BERNAMA News Agency