THE five-man project team from SMK St. Anthony, Sarikei, Sarawak was named champions of the annual ‘DIY Made Simple’ competition, in an intense contest that saw 439 entries from 180 schools across the country vying for the top accolade.
This year’s theme, ‘Repurposing Waste, Countering Cost of Living’, calls for students to enhance school facilities by using waste materials wisely to cut costs and promote sustainability. It also emphasises the integration of ESG [Environmental, Social and Governance [ESG]] principles, particularly the environmental aspect.
SMK St. Anthony’s ‘ET BLOCK’ featured an eco-friendly, durable, and low-cost ‘seat’, made from egg trays, recycled cloth, plastic, and wooden pieces, designed to complement their school’s facilities and enhance their students’ learning experience.
‘DIY Made Simple’ is an annual nationwide competition jointly organised by Malaysia’s largest home improvement retailer MR D.I.Y. Group [M] Berhad [MR D.I.Y.], together with Universiti Malaya’s Community Engagement Centre [UMCares] and the UM Faculty of Built Environment, with the support of the Ministry of Education [MOE]’s Sports, Co-Curriculum, and Arts Division.
Now in its seventh year, this competition aims to build a sustainable culture amongst young Malaysians.
At a prize-giving ceremony held at UM’s Dewan Tunku Canselor today, MR D.I.Y. Group Chairman Dato’ Azlam Shah Alias said, “It’s incredible to think that in our first year, we received just seven submissions from one state. The growth of the competition has been nothing short of phenomenal. Even better, the work that we are seeing is amazing and inspiring – this makes me confident that Malaysia’s future in sustainability is very promising.
“Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at MR D.I.Y, and we are very proud of how this programme has flourished. We have to date successfully nurtured over 3,800 students on the core aspects of sustainability through the DIY Made Simple competition, preparing them to be change agents of the nation.”
Dato’ Azlam also thanked the different partners, saying, “We could not have achieved this without our partnership with Universiti Malaya, the endorsement and support of the Ministry of Education, and the commitment of the students, teachers, and parents — to all of you, terima kasih for helping us build a better Malaysia.”
Commenting on the competition, Universiti Malaya Community Engagement Centre (UMCares) Director, Associate Professor Dr Amer Siddiq Amer Nordin said, ‘DIY Made Simple’ is an exemplary example of a successful university-industry-government-community collaboration and we are very proud to be a part of it. It not just provides opportunities for students across the country to come together and learn from one another, but it also promotes a strong do-it-yourself culture, which is instrumental in building confidence, independence and skills amongst students. Universiti Malaya is committed to innovating and improving this programme, making it an important sustainability platform for school communities across Malaysia.”
As champions, SMK St. Anthony, Sarikei, Sarawak took home RM4,000 in cash, while SMK Kunak Jaya, Kunak, Sabah was in Second place with a cash award of RM3,000. SM Sains Sultan Iskandar, Mersing, Johor came in Third and received RM2,000 in cash; SMK Elopura 2, Sandakan, Sabah was Fourth with RM1,000 in cash, and SMJK Kwang Hua, Klang, Selangor was Fifth with RM500 in cash. In addition, each team also received MR D.I.Y. cash vouchers, a certificate, and a trophy.
SMK Chong Hwa, Kluang, Johor, and SMK St.Anthony, Sarikei, Sarawak were awarded RM500 in cash each for having the most-liked competition videos on YouTube and TikTok respectively.
The programme also recognised state education departments that had helped drive the highest participation from their respective states, with the State Education Department Selangor taking first place, followed by the Putrajaya, Labuan, Melaka, and Johor state education departments.
Since its launch in 2017, the ‘DIY Made’ competition has engaged over 3,800 students from 529 schools across the country, with 788 project submissions. In 2022, MR D.I.Y. announced that it would continue its partnership with UM for another three years, for the 2023-2025 competitions.
