Don’s invention uses coconut husk and fibreglass

Story and photo by A.MALEX YAHAYA  

MALACCA: A professor from Universiti Teknikal Melaka (UTeM) here has invented a cheap, lightweight, yet durable bullet-proof vest using fibre from coconut husk and fibreglass. 

It took him two years to create his invention, but Professor Dr Md Dan Md Palil's efforts paid off and he is waiting for an opportunity to commercialise the vest. 

Md Dan said he wanted to prove to the world that Malaysia could invent various products cheaply and using waste material. 

Proven product: Prof Md Dan showing his bullet-proof vest to Prof Ismail at UteM in Malacca.

“Bullet-proof vests are usually made of ceramic mixed with another material, called Kevlar, to give it the might to stop a bullet. 

“However, the combination of these two materials causes the vest to be expensive and also very heavy,” said Md Dan, who is deputy dean of UTeM’s Manufacturing Engineering Faculty. 

Md Dan said a normal bullet-proof vest costs about RM16,000 and weighs 9kg, but his invention was only 3kg and cost RM2,000.  

“Imagine the advantage our safety agencies will have if they use this vest which is lighter but of the same durability and might of a normal Kevlar vest,” said Md Dan, who roped in his student Mohd Yuhazri Yaakob for the project. 

Md Dan added that the vest adhered to the ballistic standard through a test by the Defence Science and Technology Research Institute. 

“The test proved that the vest is capable of stopping 9mm calibre bullets at a 5m range,” said Md Dan. 

His invention bagged a gold at the 35th Geneva International Exhibitions of Inventions, New Techniques and Products last April. 

UTeM vice-chancellor Datuk Prof Ismail Hassan said the success of the professor and his student proved that UTeM was on par with other universities in the world. 

“Although we are a new university compared to others, the lecturers are able to research and design products of world standard,” said Ismail. 

Ismail added that local companies should take the opportunity to commercialise the inventions or research findings of public institutes of higher learning.