KUALA TERENGGANU — Students across Terengganu are being encouraged to take science and technology beyond textbooks by developing ideas that respond to everyday problems.
That practical approach to STEM education in Terengganu is taking shape through the inaugural Yayasan DiRaja Sultan Mizan (YDSM) Young Innovators Competition, jointly organised by YDSM and Pusat Sains dan Kreativiti Terengganu (PSKT).
The competition attracted 203 entries from schools across the state, bringing together students from different educational backgrounds, including religious-stream schools.
STEM Opportunities Reach Students Across Terengganu
Participation was not limited to schools in major towns.
Students from SK Keruak in Hulu Besut and SK Kuala Berang in Hulu Terengganu joined the competition. Students from SK Pulau Perhentian also travelled across the sea to take part.
Their participation reflects a wider goal behind the programme: giving young people opportunities to explore science, technology and problem-solving regardless of where they study.
YDSM Board of Trustees member Dato’ Mohd Fadzli Yusof said education plays an important role in the foundation’s broader efforts to support socio-economic development in Terengganu and Malaysia.
“The main objective of Yayasan DiRaja Sultan Mizan or YDSM is to improve, empower and enhance the socio-economic status of the people of Terengganu in particular and Malaysia in general,” he said.
He added that modern education also needs to recognise the importance of technical and vocational education and training, or TVET.
Photo: Dato’ Mohd Fadzli Yusof (third from right, in white), member of the Yayasan DiRaja Sultan Mizan (YDSM) Board of Trustees, interacts with participants at the YDSM Young Innovators Competition, held at Pusat Sains dan Kreativiti Terengganu (PSKT).
Equal Access Can Strengthen Future Talent
Mohd Fadzli said opportunities should be available to students regardless of their school, institution or educational stream.
“Equal opportunities should also be given to every school student regardless of the background of their school, institution or educational stream,” he said.
He pointed to the participation of religious-stream schools as a positive sign.
The broader value of such exposure goes beyond winning a competition. Students get a chance to test ideas, explain how they work and consider whether their solutions can address real needs.
These experiences can help build problem-solving and communication skills alongside technical knowledge.
Students present their prototypes at the Yayasan DiRaja Sultan Mizan (YDSM) Young Innovators Competition.
AI Projects Focus on Everyday Needs
The competition asked students to develop inventions and innovations across categories covering persons with disabilities, senior citizens and everyday safety.
Artificial intelligence formed part of the project requirements.
PSKT chief executive officer Mohd Huzairil Nizam Ibrahim said students were able to develop and present their ideas despite the challenge of the categories.
“This provides a benchmark for STEM education itself,” he said.
Importantly, students were not assessed only within a school environment. Judges included representatives from relevant government agencies, industry stakeholders and the education sector.
That gave participants exposure to different perspectives on how an idea may work outside the classroom.
Students from schools across Terengganu compete on equal footing for the Yayasan DiRaja Sultan Mizan Cup at the YDSM Young Innovators Competition.
Connecting Education With Real-World Skills
For Malaysia, programmes that encourage practical STEM learning can support a wider effort to prepare young people for a workplace increasingly shaped by technology.
The value is not simply in teaching students how to use AI. Learning how to identify a problem, develop an idea and communicate a possible solution can be just as important.
This is especially relevant when opportunities reach students from rural, island and different educational communities.
Greater exposure at school level can help young people see technology as something they can create with, rather than simply consume.
Building a Wider Culture of Student Innovation
The one-day competition at PSKT featured 203 presentations across five categories. The top five entries in each category were shortlisted for the final round.
Finalists will compete for the Yayasan DiRaja Sultan Mizan Cup, with the winner expected to be announced at the end of the year.
For Terengganu, the longer-term opportunity is to build a stronger culture of experimentation among students.
Competitions alone cannot determine future career paths. They can, however, give young people an early space to test their abilities and understand how science and technology connect with community needs.
As STEM education in Terengganu becomes more practical and inclusive, programmes such as the Young Innovators Competition can help widen access to skills that will matter well beyond school.
