Travel guide takes flight
Fun board game featuring attractions in Sarawak earns students top prize
Sarawak students dream up board game to keep flight passengers busy – and informed.
KUALA LUMPUR: Three Fifth Formers have created a fun travel guide which allows flight passengers to play a board game and learn about the place they are visiting.
Taking a cue from the popular game Monopoly, Shannon Tan Sing Ling, Zoe Chan Geok Lin and Jonathan Mei Wei En from SM Lodge, Sarawak, created a board game featuring attractions in Sarawak which players need to “acquire” in order to win.
Instead of throwing a dice, players have to play a game of batu seremban – the number of stones that they successfully catch indicates the number of steps on the board that they are allowed to move.
“Instead of flipping through a magazine to find out more about a destination, air passengers can play a board game and learn about the place that they are visiting,” team leader Shannon, 17, said.
Their team emerged as champions in the RHB-The Star Mighty Minds Challenge national finals upper secondary category.
In the lower secondary category, Kolej Yayasan Saad triumphed with Nur Fatihah Athira Muhamad, Afiq Ramizi and Afiqah Ramizi.
The upper secondary category winners, in descending order, were SMJK Sam Tet (Perak), SMK Bukit Jambul (Penang), SMJK Keat Hwa (Kedah) and SMK Tasek Utara (Johor).
In the lower secondary winners, in descending order, were SMK Convent Ipoh (Perak), SMK Damansara Jaya (Selangor), SMK Sultan Sulaiman (Terengganu) and SMK Perlis.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said the competition provided an avenue for students to learn outside the classroom.
“It has the potential to unleash hidden talents among our students, uncover innovative ideas and promote a sense of confidence,” he said in his speech read out by the ministry’s deputy secretary-general Datuk Dr Sharifah Zarah Syed Ahmad.
The Star group chief editor Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai said such challenges were important for student development compared to just having good academic results.
“It’s not about getting 14As in exams. The experience gained from overcoming all the challenges in a competition such as Mighty Minds will give you an edge during job interviews.”
RHB Banking Group group managing director Kellee Kam Chee Khiong said the grand finals had introduced a segment called “Innovation, Creativity & Business Acumen Skills”.
“It is meant to prepare students for life in the real world,” he said.
The top five winners of each category walked away with cash prizes worth RM10,000, RM5,000 and RM4,000, RM1,500 and RM1,000.
The upper secondary school champions would also attend the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in Ireland, sponsored by Penang Medical College.
Cash prizes of RM500, RM300 and RM200 through RHB Junior Savings Account were also given to the top three models in both categories.
The winning models will be displayed at the National Innovation Conference and Exhibition organised by the ministry from Nov 5 to 7 at KLCC.
Read Star Educate this Sunday for more reports.