Bringing mental literacy to the fore: Dr Ling (seated) being flanked by Teo (left) and Prof Ewe. Looking on are Dr Ling’s wife Toh Puan Ena Ling (third from left), Wan Jiun (fourth from left), and West (second from right), with MMLM and UTAR staff members. – ONG SOON HIN/The Star
THREE competitions aimed at testing participants’ memory, mind mapping and mental calculation prowess are in store for Malaysians ranging from preschoolers to retirees.
With prizes worth RM60,000 to be won, the Mind Competitions 2023 – organised by the Malaysia Mental Literacy Movement (MMLM), Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), and Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) – has returned for the 14th year to promote mental literacy among Malaysians.
The event will be held on Sept 9 at three locations: UTAR Sungai Long Campus in Selangor, UTAR Kampar Campus in Perak, and TAR UMT Penang Campus.
MMLM committee chairman Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, who is also UTAR chancellor, said this sets the stage for students and members of the public to inspire those around them.
Having learned these mental literacy skills, students can go on to teach and inspire their younger siblings, he said.
Winning prizes in these competitions, he added, would bring out their pride and boost their confidence.
“It’s relevant for senior citizens too. I hope more seniors take part and inspire the younger people in their families,” he said at a press conference held at UTAR Sungai Long Campus on Aug 4.
MMLM member and UTAR president Prof Datuk Dr Ewe Hong Tat said having the competitions at the three locations concurrently is to encourage members of the public from the surrounding states to take part in the challenges.
“It is important to have these activities after the Covid-19 pandemic to encourage not just the young, but also the elderly, to be active physically and mentally.
“We want seniors to get involved in mental training, and keep their minds sharp and healthy,” he said.
He also said the three competitions – memory, mind mapping and mental calculation – cover a big area of mental activities in one’s daily life.
“These skills are learnable and transferrable. If students acquire these skills, they can transfer these skills when they study different subjects, such as mathematics, history, language and science, and when they are learning on the job.
“These skills will help not only students, but also other members of the public, in many areas such as remembering maps well and drawing connections,” he added.
Citing Dr Ling’s founding of the MMLM in 2006, Prof Ewe said the aim was to look at how the movement could leapfrog Malaysia through the training of mental literacy skills.
“We want to help students improve not only their results, but also their learning abilities, not just in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), but all kinds of knowledge. This is very fundamental. “We hope the government and the Education Ministry will help promote and develop these transferrable skills among Malaysians,” he said.
At the press conference, West Wong, the Mental Calculation Competition chief judge, as well as Teo Kim Foo and Wong Wan Jiun, the Memory Competition chief judge and judge, respectively, gave a special demonstration of their skills.
Thanking the organisers for bringing back the competition, West said: “Having a number sense gives students a good foundation in mathematics. If they want a higher challenge, the Mind Competitions is a platform they can try.”
Besides the Mind Competitions, the organisers will be hosting the 17th Malaysia Festival of the Mind (MFotM) 2023 from Oct 27 to 29 in conjunction with the Kuala Lumpur Engineering Science Fair (KLESF) 2023.
There will be exhibition booths from various organisations and enterprises, said Prof Ewe.
“Various talks, demonstrations and hands-on activities will be held. It’s suitable for parents to bring their children,” he added.
According to Prof Ewe, the KLESF, which will be held at the Mines International Exhibition & Convention Centre (MIECC), had attracted 60,000 participants pre-Covid-19, with participation seeing an increase during the pandemic when the event was carried out online. “We expect to attract 60,000 to 70,000 participants to the KLESF this year, where the grand award ceremony of the Mind Competitions will be held,” Prof Ewe said, adding that the KLESF will feature STEM-related hands-on activities to increase students’ interest in STEM and show them that they can have fun in learning the sciences.
