PENANG:

The WOU International STEM Innovation Competition, organised by Wawasan Open University, received a record 866 local and international teams entries vying for the top awards of Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze in four main categories of Junior Innovator, Young Innovator, Tertiary Innovator, and Professional Innovator.

Five finalists were shortlisted from the Junior Innovator (10 – 12 years old primary school students) and Young Innovator (13 – 18 years old secondary school students) categories respectively. Additionally, 11 teams from higher learning institutions and professional innovators competed in the final round of the competition held at WOU’s main campus and virtually.

Winners were determined after evaluations sessions by a panel of distinguished judges comprising industry leaders, senior academics, alongside Technological Association Malaysia (TAM) and Malaysia Board of Technologists (MBOT) representatives.

In the Junior Innovator category, 12-year-old Jared Tan Jun Hao from SJK (C) Sin Ya, Penang triumphed over 340 teams, clinching the top Diamond Award with his winning entry, Terra Guard. Using micro:bit built-in accelerometer functions and temperature sensors, Jared’s solar-powered Internet of Things (IoT) disaster alert system was designed to provide early warnings about landslides and forest fires, enabling local emergency responders to facilitate smoother disaster management and responses.

The second placing Platinum Award went to the team from SJK (C) Kuen Cheng 1, Kuala Lumpur, for their innovation of a Moon Phase Education Model. Team members Sharifah Sara Leandra binti Syed Mohamed Sani, 12; Chan Phui Nee, 12; Kuok Xian Yi, 11; and Chan Phui Le, 10 developed a creative and interactive learning tool to study moon phases.

A team of five students from SMK Damansara Jaya, Selangor has emerged as champion of the Young Innovator category, bringing home the Diamond Award. They presented their prototype named the AI Trashzilla, an AI-powered innovation that utilises Raspberry Pi and EV3 Mindstorm Bluetooth connectivity to detect waste. The students, Teoh Zhi Syuen, 15; Gabriel Tai Herng, 15; Kok Wen Zheng, 15; Sek How Zhe, 14; and Cheong Hye Yan, 14 developed the idea of a roving ‘waste-hunter’ to address the issue of littering that is especially rampant at night markets, bazaars, and tourist attraction due to lack of waste disposal bins.

SMK Abdullah Munshi, Penang received the Platinum Award for their innovative project titled Washroom Occupancy Observer, a device to prevent truancy in school washrooms. Form 3 students Muhammad Syawal Mukhriz Bin Mohd Rizal, Ahmad Adam Iman Bin Ahmad Akhyar, and Raffael Damien Merza Bin Zulkifli conceived the idea after observing students misusing the washroom spaces to skip classes, play, smoke, and vape. Their prototype consists of an LED sensor that lights up and sends a signal to the school discipline teacher when there are more than five students in the washroom at one time.  

An innovative project on Biodegradable and Sustainable of Seedlings Cultivation has impressed the judges, earning it the Diamond Award in the Tertiary Innovator category. The winning team, comprising of 19-year-olds Esther Chan Yin Hei, Saw Zhen Wei, Joseph Ho Kah Hong, Cindy Kang, and Tan Jie Hui from SMJK Heng Ee Penang was elated for coming out tops against 70 teams from higher learning institutions across Malaysia, including one from Indonesia. Their project investigated a novel bioplastic derived from eggshells, which has proved to be biodegradable and subsequently proposed its utilisation in seedling cultivation to replace non-biodegradable seedling bags.

Another team from the same school also won the Platinum Award for their innovation titled Atlantis House. In their project, students addressed the climate challenge of rising sea levels with their visionary concept of a floating sea house which rises during high tides. Team members Lee Khai Vin, Lim Xi Yong, Toh Yong Liang James, Choo Chen Chuin, and Lim Le Jeff, all 19, hoped to see their prototype implemented for construction of real-size houses on water.

In the Professional Innovator award, Ezrul Helmi Bin Muhamad Razali’s project, Multifunctional Card (MFC), was named as recipient of the Diamond Award. The 38-year-old professional innovator, from SMK Padang Terap, Kedah impressed judges with his research on using flash cards to improve Form Four students’ understanding of Force and Motion in Physics. Focusing his research on six students, he successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of flash cards in enhancing his students’ calculation skills.

The WOU International STEM Innovation Competition attracted 340 Junior Innovator teams, 433 Young Innovator teams, 70 Tertiary Innovator teams, and 23 Professional Innovator teams.

Established in 2006, WOU (Wawasan Open University) is a private, non-profit institution dedicated to providing flexible, accessible, and online education for adult learners. This pioneering institution in open and distance learning (ODL) boasts a main campus by the sea in Penang and established Regional Centres and Offices nationwide, encompassing George Town, Johor Bahru, Kuching, Ipoh, and Kuala Lumpur. WOU caters to the evolving needs of the digital economy by offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, alongside micro-credential courses, equipping learners with the necessary skills to thrive in the ever-changing technological landscape. With nearly 30,000 students and over 8,000 graduates, WOU has demonstrably expanded access to tertiary education in Malaysia.

Contact:        

Rasidah Mion,
Corporate Communications Manager
rasidahbm@wou.edu.my 
019 314 2003