KUALA LUMPUR, 15 August 2024 — The four-man project team from SMK Tinggi St David was today named champions of the annual ‘DIY Made Simple’ competition, in an intense contest that saw 589 entries from 192 schools across the country vying for the top accolade.
This year's theme, ‘Wonder Waste Creations: Paper and Plastic Edition’ calls for students to enhance school facilities by using waste paper and plastic 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 Tinggi St David’s ‘Simple Shoes Cleaner 1.0’ featured shoe cleaner and animal deterrent, 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 eighth year, this competition aims to continuously build a sustainable culture amongst young Malaysians. At a prize-giving ceremony held at the Auditorium Kompleks Perdana Siswa Universiti Malaya today, Yayasan MR D.I.Y. Chief Executive Officer, Zaleha Mohd Mydin 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 6,208 students on the core aspects of sustainability through the DIY Made Simple competition, preparing them to be change agents of the nation.”
Zaleha 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, Director, Universiti Malaya Community Engagement Centre, Associate Professor Dr. Amer Siddiq Amer Nordin said, DIY Made Simple is a one of a kind competition that plays a significant role in igniting creativity and fostering innovation, providing the younger generation with the essential skills and competencies needed to thrive in the globalized world. He also added that DIY Made Simple exemplifies how collaborative efforts and ongoing commitment between partners can create a substantial impact on the community. University, government, industry, NGOs and media must work hand in hand and support one another to effectively implement initiatives that create a significant impact on the community.
As champions, SMK Tinggi St David took home RM4,000 in cash, while SMK St Peter Kudat (M) was in Second place with a cash award of RM3,000. SMK Seri Panching came in Third and received RM2,000 in cash; SMK Merapok was Fourth with RM1,000 in cash, and SMA Persekutuan Kajang was Fifth with RM500 in cash. In addition, each team also received RM300 MR D.I.Y. cash vouchers, a certificate, and a trophy.
Maahad Tahfiz Negeri Pahang, PTI Intels and SMK Tinggi St David, Y2PRO: Just DIY were awarded RM500 in cash each for having the most-liked competition videos on YouTube and TikTok respectively.
Consolation prizes [Anugerah Inspirasi] of RM300 in MR D.I.Y. cash vouchers, a certificate, and a trophy were awarded to:
SMK St. Mary
SMK Kunak Jaya
SMK Tasek Utara
SMK Shahbandaraya
SMJK Phor Tay
SMA Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan
SMK Muadzam Shah, Muadzam Shah, Pahang
Kolej Vokasional Sepang, Sepang, Selangor
SMK Air Merah
SMK Convent (M) Kajang (2 teams)
The programme also recognised state education departments who had helped drive the highest participation from their respective states, with State Education Department Selangor taking first place, followed by the Perak, Johor, Sabah, and Sarawak state education departments.
Since its launch in 2017, the DIY Made Simple competition has engaged over 6,200 students from 715 schools across the country, with 1,242 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.
