SMK Tinggi Melaka Named PETRONAS All About Youth 2017 Champion

A complete silence fell over the banquet hall minutes before the winner of the PETRONAS ALL ABOUT YOUTH 2017 competition was announced.

The moment SMK Tinggi Melaka was crowned champion, the hall – with 250 participants and guests -- erupted with cheers and applause for the winner that defeated 49 other schools nationwide to bag the grand prize worth RM 50,000.

“I can’t believe we won! We are so proud to be chosen as the winner of PETRONAS AAY 2017. We thank everyone who has been supporting us from the beginning; our teachers, family, community and PETRONAS for believing in us. But our work is not done. With the reward entrusted to us, we will continue to improve our project for the betterment of our community back home,” said Muhammad Anis Firdausi Hazmi, team leader of SMK Tinggi Melaka.

The announcement was made by Malaysia’s Deputy Education Director-General, Dr Zainal Aalam Hassan, together with PETRONAS Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy Ir Firouz Asnan, during the competition’s grand finale held today at the Impiana KLCC Hotel here.

Lauding PETRONAS’ efforts, Zainal said, “PETRONAS AAY is one programme that I am very proud of. With its goal to empower the Malaysian youth to play their part in creating a harmonious community and promote social cohesion, it is very much in line with the Ministry of Education’s efforts to equip the future generation with the right skills to face the challenges of the future.”

Firouz echoed the success of the programme. “It is worth noting that the students were given only eight weeks to turn their vision into reality. They took up the challenge in stride and the quality of the project outcomes showed us that they have wholeheartedly given their absolute best.

“Equally, these outstanding projects could not have been possible without the continued guidance, sincere support and encouragement from the schools, teachers and PETRONAS buddies from across PETRONAS Group who generously volunteered their time.”

SMK Tinggi Melaka captured the judges’ interest with their project titled “HISTOMAP”, a mobile app that was created to help students study the subject of History in the form of mind maps. The idea came about when the team observed that students are always on their smartphones and felt that it would be beneficial to have an app that would benefit them in their studies.

Apart from the grand prize worth RM50,000 for the purpose of further enhancing their project and refurbishment of the school, each member of the winning team will receive RM1,000 in Skim Simpanan Pendidikan Nasional (SSPN) savings scheme.

Meanwhile, SMK Paka from Terengganu was named first runner-up with their project titled “Acu Paka”, a mobile app that contains useful information on local authorities and service providers. SMK Lutong from Sarawak, who created a chemical-free sand-fly repellent based on an age-old remedy by the Orang Ulu, was second runner-up.

The other two finalists were SMK Sindumin from Sabah and SMK Lokman Hakim from Johor. The former transformed an abandoned building into a local mini library while the latter came up with an affordable venue and facility for neighbouring communities to promote archery as a sport.

The final judging, concluded earlier in the morning by a panel of judges comprising representatives from PETRONAS, Ministry of Education, TalentCorp Malaysia and Teach for Malaysia, assessed the projects based on their creativity, presentation clarity, originality, impact and sustainability.

Already in its fourth year, PETRONAS AAY is a key Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme for PETRONAS which aims to nurture and empower well-rounded Malaysian youths to reach out and make a difference in their community in the areas of social development, community wellbeing and environment.

Issued by
Media Relations
Group Strategic Communications
PETRONAS

For media enquiries, please contact:
Wei Wen: weiwen.lim@petronas.com | +6012 3223 476