SHAH ALAM, 22 November - Daughters of the late cartoonist for the Ujang magazine, Zainuddin Salleh, or more affectionately known by his pen name 'Lengkuas' - twins Maisara Batrisyia Zainuddin and Maisuri Batrisyia Zainuddin - stole the show at the 100th Convocation ceremony of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) here, yesterday.

The 22-year-old identical twins celebrated their success by holding onto First Class Diploma scrolls in the Building Surveying course from UiTM Seri Iskandar, Perak.

Born only one minute apart on May 3rd, 2002, Maisara and Maisuri plan to further their studies to the Bachelor's Degree level in the same field.

However, their learning journey was not easy, especially after losing their father in 2017.

Cartoonist Lengkuas is popular for his work ‘Mat Despatch’ in the Ujang magazine and ‘Yob Peon’ in the Lanun magazine.

"Father was very talented in drawing, and we have that talent too. My father's friends once asked if we wanted to continue my father's work, but we were, at that time, too young to take on such a big responsibility," they said when recalling the memory of their late father's artistic talent.

Their stories become even more inspiring when they disclose about the financial challenges that come from being children of a single mother.

"Mother had to work hard to manage the three of us. My mother has a computer shop business, and we will help whenever we can, such as working part-time at a boutique during the semester break," said Maisara.

Maisuri describes herself as lucky because there is always support from her twin sister.

"We depend on each other. There are always sweet memories when we do everything together, from group assignments to sharing a house," she said.

However, in spite of all the challenges, there are funny moments that become their happy memories, including the confusion of lecturers, friends, and family members about their identities.

"Once a lecturer scolded me, when in fact the student who should have been scolded was Maisara.

"We are used to it for 22 years," said Maisuri with a laugh.

Maisara also shared the moment when she almost gave up on her studies but her mother’s strength became an inspiration for her to continue on.

"I want to finish my studies so that I can get a good job, build a future, and change the fate of my family. Mama is my main source of strength," she said.