It was a lively scene at the Mondulkiri provincial hall on September 12, as Governor Kong Limhour gathered the province’s top high school graduates to hand over a heavy-duty reward: five brand-new motorbikes for the five students who scored straight A's on their national exams.
Before the results came out, the governor had promised a bike to anyone who hit the top grade. When the scores were finally released, all five students delivered, and the governor made good on his word, handing over the keys in person.
Out of 768 students who sat for the exam in the province this year, 727 passed. Among the five straight-A achievers, two are from Hun Sen Pech Chenda High School: 18-year-olds Leng Bunlang and Roch Narach. The other three come from Brighton High School, a private school in O'Raing district: 18-year-old Chheang Gechleang, 17-year-old Ngon Dalis, and 18-year-old Cheav Komheang.
At the event, the governor noted that while the province only produced two straight-A students last year, that number jumped to five this time around. He also announced that the same reward will be up for grabs again in 2027.
Life in the highlands isn't quite the same as in Phnom Penh. For many local students, getting to and from school means long distances and grueling bicycle rides under the blazing sun. A brand-new motorbike is a major investment here—easily a life-changing asset for an ordinary farming family, and just the thing to help these kids tackle the mountain roads as they head off to university. Around town, locals at coffee shops and roadside stalls were already buzzing about the governor's straightforward style, agreeing that practical incentives beat empty praise any day.
