YOUTHS CONTRIBUTE TO A BETTER, BRIGHTER NATION

(Back row, from right) Sutapa, Baderul and Low celebrating the winners and finalists of the Better, Brighter Malaysia Sustainable Project Contest.

THREE Universiti Utara Malaysia students received a RM10,000 seed grant from Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) to pursue their project to teach tahfiz children business skills and entrepreneurship.

Ung Geok P’ng, 21, Siti Hajar Azmi, 20, and Nik Nor Hanan Nik Ramzi, 20, were among the winners of the Better, Brighter Malaysia Sustainable Project Contest carried out in partnership between TNB and MyPerintis.

Mohamad Afiq Izzuddin Mohd Sulaiman, 19, from Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, also received the RM10,000 seed grant for his initiative to uplift the standard of education among Orang Asli children.

The other winner was Mohamad Nafis Mohamad Azhar, 23, from the International Islamic University of Malaysia.

Besides the RM10,000 seed grant, all five finalists each walked away with RM1,000 at a prize-giving ceremony at New World Petaling Jaya Hotel recently.

The Better, Brighter Malaysia Sustainable Project Contest was aimed at encouraging youths to make a difference to the country’s future. Participants submitted their proposals for sustainable projects. The contest garnered a total of 430 submissions nationwide.

(From left) Ung, Nurin Nadiah Mohamad Azhar representing Mohamad Nafis and Mohamad Afiq Izzuddin at the Better, Brighter Malaysia prize-giving ceremony.

TNB corporate communication head Datuk Baderul Sham Saad said the contest was aimed at getting youths to share their perspective, hopes and creativity in imagining a better, brighter Malaysia.

“It may just be a competition, but it is a great start to encourage, prepare and shape our youth as future change-makers.

“There is no other better way or time to make our youth understand their role in nation development.

“Like many other initiatives and efforts by TNB, the Better Brighter Malaysia Sustainable Project Contest is our way to support today’s youth by providing them with the opportunity to build a better life for themselves, in the hope that when they grow up, they in turn can give a brighter life to others, ” he said.

Present at the event were MyPerintis founding chairman Datuk Lawrence Low and TNB corporate strategic communication general manager Sutapa Bhattacharya.

In addition to empowering youths, TNB collaborated with Caring Moms in a programme to help women and single mothers to start their own businesses while providing a platform for them to market their products to Malaysians.

This programme has helped 20 mothers who had to close their businesses or whose husbands lost their jobs due to the pandemic.