MBSB x ASTI: Sparking Youth Innovation – Young Inventors Challenge 2026

MBSB Berhad (MBSB), in partnership with Association of Science, Technology, and Innovation (ASTI), successfully hosted the prize-giving ceremony for the Young Inventors Challenge (YIC) 2025 and the official launch of Young Inventors Challenge (YIC) 2026 at Menara MBSB Bank, PJ Sentral.

 

Young Innovators Challenge (YIC) is an annual program to inspire maker movement in secondary schools. In YIC, students are supported by their teachers, mentors, and the program organiser, to solve real-life problems using open-source embedded systems and software. Students will have the opportunity to develop projects they are passionate about. This will be a learning journey that nurtures their life skills.

 

Recap on YIC 2025: 

The 13th edition of YIC, themed “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” received 440 applications, of which 343 proposals were submitted across 10 countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, China, South Africa, Vietnam, amongst others. After a rigorous evaluation process, 173 teams progressed to the evaluation stage, with the Top 32 teams selected for the final viva round competing across several categories. Winners were evaluated upon strong alignment with SDGrelated real-world problems, practical and innovative solutions, clear prototype development, and strong teamwork and presentation skills.

 

The programme delivered compelling inventions, reflecting the creativity and problemsolving capabilities of young innovators, an initiative strongly supported by MBSB in its commitment to empowering youth and fostering future-ready talent. Among the standout innovations were:

 

•Platinum Winner: Developed a device to assist palm oil farmers in lifting and transporting heavy palm bunches. By applying principles of levers, the device reduces physical strain, minimizes injury risk, and improves efficiency, benefiting farmers’ health and productivity.

 

• Gold Winner (REBIT): Created a solution to improve road durability using recycled plastic and coconut husk mixed with bitumen. The innovation strengthens roads against weather and heavy traffic while promoting waste recycling and reducing maintenance costs.

 

Through its continued support of initiatives such as the Young Inventors Challenge, MBSB reinforces its commitment to nurturing innovation skills among youth, equipping them with the mindset and capabilities to address real-world challenges and contribute meaningfully to society.

 

Launching YIC 2026: Expanding Opportunities for Young Innovators Building on the success of YIC 2025, YIC 2026 continues under the theme “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” and is expected to see participation from 10 or more countries, further strengthening its international reach.

 

This year’s edition offers students:

• A platform to solve real-world global challenges

• Opportunities to develop inventions and prototypes

• Exposure to international judging panels and competition

• Recognition as future innovators and problem-solvers

MBSB and ASTI are committed to nurturing young minds through this program, empowering them to move from ideation to implementation while fostering creativity, resilience, and global citizenship.

 

Dato’ Wan Kamaruzaman Wan Ahmad, Chairman of MBSB, said: "At MBSB, we believe that true sustainability begins with education. Our support for the Young Inventors Challenge is a strategic investment in the intellectual capital of our youth. On top of celebrating winners today, we are also empowering the architects of our future. By fostering an 'innovator mindset' early on, we ensure that the next generation is equipped with the creativity and resilience needed towards realising the nation’s ‘Made-byMalaysia’ mandate.”

 

Dr Mohamed Yunu Yasin, President of ASTI, said "YIC aspires to ignite a spirit of problemsolving by nurturing confidence and resilience. It seeks to return the power of learning to the learner, empowering each individual to chart their own unique path to discovery and growth. We hope YIC will help the young participants on their journey towards achieving their full potential".

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71 and Growing | Lotus’s Malaysia Opens at KSL Esplanade Mall

Lotuss Stores (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (Lotus’s Malaysia) today announced the opening of its 71st store at KSL Esplanade Mall, marking a key milestone in its expansion journey while celebrating a long-standing partnership with KSL that began in 2011 with its first store at KSL Johor Bahru.

The opening reflects more than just growth in numbers, it highlights a collaboration built over time to bring community-focused, accessible shopping into well-integrated developments.

 “This opening is particularly meaningful for us as it builds on a partnership with KSL that has grown over the years since 2011. What makes this collaboration work is a shared approach, creating integrated environments that bring together retail, hospitality, and community. That aligns very closely with how we choose our locations and plan our growth, said Yvonne Yong, Chief Financial and Property Development Officer of Lotus’s Malaysia.

She added, “KSL Esplanade stands out as a strategic location given its strong connectivity via major roads and expressways, as well as its proximity to the upcoming LRT3 station. Combined with the surrounding residential and commercial catchment, and the hotel within the development, it offers a steady and diverse flow of customers”.

The Lotus’s KSL Esplanade store is designed to serve the daily needs of the surrounding community, offering a curated range of more than 9,000 SKUs across key categories including fresh produce, bakery under the in-house Lo’Ti brand, groceries, frozen foods, household essentials, health and beauty products, and general merchandise.

“We see this store as more than just a place to shop, it’s about supporting everyday living for the community. We’ve brought together a wide range of essentials in a format that is easy to shop, accessible, and focused on delivering quality at affordable prices”, said Neil Gurusamy, Chief Operations Officer of Lotus’s Malaysia.

The store layout features clear zoning and signage, allowing customers to navigate easily and shop efficiently.

Strategically located within KSL Esplanade, the store caters to a diverse mix of customers, from nearby families and residents to hotel guests and time-conscious urban consumers.

“We see three key groups here, families who prioritise value for their household needs, visitors who are looking for convenience during their stay, and busy individuals who want quick and efficient shopping. Our role is really to bring these groups together by offering a store that delivers value, convenience, and flexibility in one place”, added Neil.

Affordability remains a key focus for Lotus’s, with pricing strategies designed to support everyday spending without compromising on quality.

“We recognise that customers today are very mindful of how they spend. So, our approach is to consistently deliver strong value through our product selection, our own brands, and the promotions we offer, so customers can shop with confidence”, said Neil Gurusamy.

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guardian | World Oral Health Day Smile Brighter Live Better

According to the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH) in its National Oral Health Survey of Adults (NOHSA 2020), dental caries exist in 85.1% of surveyed adults (Click here). Dental caries or tooth decay prevalence rate indicates the presence of decayed, missing or filled teeth among over 8 out of 10 adult Malaysians. 

 

While the prevalence rate has been on the decline, there is still much that industry stakeholders could do to help Malaysians achieve the National Oral Health Strategic Plan’s caries’ free targets by the end of this decade. 

 

Therefore, in conjunction with the annual celebration of the World Oral Health Day on the 20^th of March worldwide, guardian Malaysia is hosting its World Oral Health Day atrium at the 1Utama Centre Court from the 31^st of March to the 5th of April, and at Midvalley Southkey, Johor Bahru.  

The event is supported by the MDA and FDI World Dental Federation and is in-line with the aspirations of the MOH. 

 

Being the No. 1 Health & Beauty Retailer* in this country, guardian Malaysia seeks to play its part in the fight against dental caries by advocating holistic wellness and elevating oral care from being merely a hygiene routine to becoming an essential part of healthcare. 

 

The mouth is the mirror to YOUR body’s overall wellbeing

 

“Many are unaware about the links between oral care to systemic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Individuals who’d take oral care for granted and neglect it might have to pay a fairly high price in the future,” shared Anna Ng, Marketing Director of guardian Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. 

 

The World Oral Health Day is designed to spark the awareness amongst Malaysians of this important but often neglected part of wellbeing care. It seeks to empower individuals with tips and knowledge to better oral health from strong teeth to fresh breath and more – all these being delivered by dental care experts and guardian pharmacists at this atrium event! 

Various interactive zones at this week-long event such as the ‘Build your strong smile’, ‘Protect your mouth’ and ‘Shine with confidence’ zones have been designed to be engaging, exploratory and impactful to allow for members of the public to learn up good oral hygiene and ‘stop’ the diseases on its track via daily care and preventive habits. 

 

guardian Malaysia expands its trust ‘circle’ to include Oral Care

 

Speaking at the launch of the atrium event, Priscilla Wu, Managing Director of guardian Malaysia said, 

 

“guardian Malaysia’s role as the trusted advisor for wellness to all Malaysians now includes empowering them to adopt preventive care on their oral health as the primary defence against dental issues. This week-long event, in celebration of World Oral Health Day, is supported by the MDA and Haleon and in-line with the objectives of the MOH is our first-step towards this direction.”

 

The President of the Malaysian Dental Association (MDA), Dr Chong Zhen Feng said that:

 

“As the MDA is focused on working constructively with industry stakeholders to better serve the interest of the public, we are delighted to be part of this public outreach platform by guardian Malaysia that celebrates World Oral Health Day with various talks, free dental check-ups and the presence of oral care experts during this week-long event for shoppers to improve their daily hygiene and routines.”

 

Besides the MDA, representatives from the Oral Health Programme (OHP), Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM ) as well as the deans of the dentistry faculties of International Medical University (IMU) and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) were also present at the event as they lend their dental expertise and support to make this week-long atrium a success. 

Dental check-ups and consultations are provided via enclosed, private booths at the atrium from 12 noon to 6 pm on the 31^st of March as well as on the 3^rd to the 5^th of April. There will be stage activities on topics of interest by BioMed, Colgate, Darlie, Henry Blooms and Sensodyne at selected hours in the afternoons in the upcoming weekend. 

 

“We are proud to be a stakeholder partner of the MDA in serving the oral care interest of the public and are thankful to them and Haleon for their support of free dental check-ups and consultations for the public at this atrium,” added Priscilla. 

 

Happiness all around, especially for MYguardian Rewards’ members

 

“In-line with the atrium’s aptly named theme of ‘A happy mouth is a happy life’, the preventive measures and hacks learnt should be inculcated as part of new routines and habits in the lives of our shoppers across all ages from the kids and teens to the young adults, family men and women as well as the senior citizens. But, the happiness does not stop there,” Anna added.  

 

There are exclusive MYguardian Rewards’ members-only promotions during the atrium:

• FREE RM 30 guardian gift voucher for any minimum purchase of RM 130
• FREE mini trendy luggage with a minimum purchase of RM 200
• Pre-event coupon drop i.e. RM 5 discount for RM 50 purchased
• Buy TWO, free ONE mix & match and save up to 30% (only on 31^st March)
• 2^nd item purchased at 70% discount and save up to 30% from 1^st to 5^th April

“Come join in the fun and learn how to care for your oral health today,” concluded Anna. 

 

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