KUALA LUMPUR, 3 December 2019 — Yayasan PETRONAS today crowned SMK Riam, Sarawak the champion of its Sentuhan Harapan–All About Youth (AAY) — Chairman’s Circle Award, for developing a commercially-viable prototype, submitted at the beginning of the competition in April 2019.
The school was among the five finalist teams from Johor, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak vying for the RM30,000 grand prize. The secondary school students were judged on innovation, relevance, sustainable impact and commercial viability of the projects, based on the AAY 2019 theme on ‘Reducing Carbon Emissions for a Better Future.’
AAY, through the Chairman’s Circle Award, provides pathways for bright students to explore entrepreneurship while equipping them with capabilities to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems.
At the Award presentation Chairman of PETRONAS and Yayasan PETRONAS Datuk Ahmad Nizam Salleh said transforming ‘think into thing’ is no easy feat and The Chairman’s Circle Award presented the students with the real possibility of seeing their projects in the market.
“Through programmes like AAY, we are advancing the platforms and pathways for enabling students to realise their potential. They engaged with businesses, received feedback from social innovators and interacted with industry leaders. We believe that social progress is inclusive. We hope to create a new breed of entrepreneurs who have sustainability and community at the core of what they do – demonstrating that together, we are enriching lives for a sustainable future,” he said.
This year, 50 schools with 1,000 students in five states participated in AAY2019 in search for environmental solutions.
Magdalena Suling Jalong, team leader from SMK Riam, Sarawak said,“We are excited to win the Chairman’s Circle Award, and are grateful for Yayasan PETRONAS for giving us the platform to develop our project. This programme allowed us to connect with subject matter experts, entrepreneurs and social innovators, giving us invaluable experience that we certainly can carry through into our future.”
Desmond Sandum, a teacher from SMK Tebobon, Sabah said, “We are proud of our students who have come so far since the beginning of the programme. They have gained new skills, more confident in their abilities and are more enthusiastic about learning. This is certainly not the end, and we are sure the students will continue developing the project once we are home.”
During the National Finals in August this year, Sekolah Menengah (SM) Imtiaz Yayasan Terengganu Kemaman was selected as the champion. As the winner of the National Finals, the team took home RM20,000 in prize money and automatic entry into the Chairman’s Circle Award.
AAY is supported by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change.
All About Youth 2019 Chairman’s Circle Finalists and Project Description
| Name of School | Project & Description |
| SM Imtiaz Yayasan Terengganu Kemaman, Terengganu (Winner of AAY 2019 National Finals) | CO₂NSER is a tool that detects heat signatures (i.e. temperature & infrared) and intense smoke emission in the environment. It then sends warning notifications via SMS to local authorities to prevent the spread of forest fires. |
| SMK Tun Habab, Johor | PELTZ is an alternative air conditioner that does not rely on chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gasses but uses the ‘Pelting effect’ to cool surrounding areas, thereby reducing carbon emissions. |
| SMK Tebobon, Sabah | I-CaRe is a smart product with dual purposes – to reduce carbon emissions and reduce carbon levels in the air. The usage of I-CaRe makes a room more comfortable. |
| SMK Riam, Sarawak | Riam Xplug is a device that alerts a user to unplug their gadgets and automatically shuts off electricity after three minutes. |
| SMK Teja Putra, Terengganu | KEMELAM is an eco-friendly innovation created bycultivating palm oil bunch waste into usable paper and food packaging for a more sustainable and green future. |
About AAY 2019
This year, 50 schools in five states – Johor, Melaka, Sabah, Sarawak and Terengganu – competed in AAY 2019. Each team received RM1,000 seed funding, a Technology Toolbox worth RM1,250 and mentoring by PETRONAS volunteers to develop their project over eleven weeks.
Since 2014, AAY has reached more than 200 schools and 4,600 students. More than 150 PETRONAS volunteers or ‘buddies’ have nurtured, tutored and motivated participants. As a result, 200 impactful community projects have been successfully developed.
Download photos here: www.yayasanpetronas.com.my/sentuhan-harapan-all-about-youth-2019/
Note To Editor:
To preview and download broadcast-standard stock footage and press photos digitally, please visit the Yayasan PETRONAS News Center.On this platform, you can find high-resolution material for your media channels, i.e. to embed videos into your Web pages, share video via email links, and subscribe to our newsletter.
Follow Yayasan PETRONAS on Facebook and Instagram.
For more information, visit https://www.yayasanpetronas.com.my/the-good-news/ – News and Media
About Yayasan PETRONAS
Yayasan PETRONAS is the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of PETRONAS. Its mission is to contribute to the well-being of society. Yayasan PETRONAS aims to deliver sustainable impact, improving the quality of life and socio-economic outcomes for communities across the nation through its focus areas in Education, Community Well-being and Development and the Environment.
Issued on behalf of:
YAYASAN PETRONAS
For media enquiries, please contact:
Reshvinder Kaur: + 60 17-275 7985| resh.kaur@ceria.asia
Lim Wei Wen: +6012 3223476 | weiwen.lim@petronas.com