MELAKA: What began in 2009 as a modest school-level initiative by alumni of Melaka Anglo Chinese School (ACS) has since evolved into a nationwide engineering competition, drawing participation from students across the country.
The school's principal, Soh Lay Hui, said the competition, known as the Vital Factor Consulting Cup 2026 and themed “MACSian74 Bridge Over Troubled Waters”, is designed to cultivate a wide range of practical skills among participants.
"The objective of the competition is to hone engineering and design thinking, financial and cost optimisation, as well as project management and teamwork,” she said in an interview on Wednesday (April 29).
Soh added that the competition is jointly organised by Melaka ACS and Methodist Girls’ Secondary School (MGSS), reflecting both institutions’ commitment to combining academic excellence with hands-on, real-world learning.
Soh said the launch of the competition will take place on May 9 at Melaka ACS.
Elaborating on the concept, she said the competition challenges participants to design and build a bridge using only ice cream sticks, strings and glue.
Soh stressed that the judging criteria differ from those of conventional engineering contests.
"This is not about building the biggest or strongest bridge.
It is about building the smartest one,” she said, noting that efficiency and optimisation are prioritised over sheer strength.
She added that a total of 21 cash prizes will be awarded, with the overall winner set to take home RM15,000.
Those interested in knowing more about the competition can email sohlayhui@yahoo.com.
