A FAN spinning in an empty room may seem like a small oversight that rarely registers as a problem in the moment. But when added up across a household, a school, a whole state – the energy waste becomes hard to ignore.
That’s the disconnect Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and Star Media Group Bhd (SMG) have been addressing through Powering The Future (PTF), a school activation energy literacy programme, now in its fourth year.
The programme’s fourth edition, PTF 4.0, is taking the initiative to 30 schools this year, spanning Putrajaya, Selangor, Melaka and Perak.
Melaka became the third stop in the state rollout on July 17, with the launch held at SMK Iskandar Shah in Jasin, with 69 Form 3 students taking part in the event.
Among the other participating schools in Melaka are SK Selandar, SK Nyalas, SK Telok Berembang, SK Seri Mendapat, SK Ayer Merbau, SMK Selandar, SMK Seri Bemban, SMK Sungai Rambai and SMK Simpang Bekoh.
TNB general manager (retail and stakeholders-Melaka) Mariati Che Omar said that, while almost everyone uses electricity daily, many still do not fully understand how it is produced, and how overconsumption or wastage negatively affects the environment.
She added that as the nation moves toward eco-friendly energy sources, today’s youth need to be equipped with the right knowledge and skills to navigate the sustainable-minded future landscape.
“We are building awareness among our youth because they are the seeds of hope for the nation’s future – to help guide the country toward a more sustainable and resilient future.
“Through this, we can nurture an energy-literate generation who will act as agents of change for a more sustainable Malaysia.”
Turning lessons into habits
PTF 4.0 isn’t built around a one-off talk but rather on the cultivation of smart energy efficiency habits. Students work through hands-on modules covering energy efficiency, renewable sources, sustainable practices, and everyday safety around electricity – materials designed to stick once they’re back home, not just for the duration of the session.
By educating students on real-world scenarios through gamification techniques, the idea is to make the subject more tangible rather than abstract, so they truly understand their role in conserving energy and using it sustainably.
The topics also give students an early nudge toward science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields as a way of thinking about the energy problems they could inherit.
SMK Iskandar Shah co-curricular senior assistant Sulaide Sulaiman said the programme complements and expands on what is taught in the classroom, while cultivating well-rounded students.
“Today’s world requires green solutions – as future leaders, this is an important preparation for our youth to drive Malaysia toward a more sustainable future,” he said.
“In the school syllabus, students do learn about energy conservation. But here, they can understand more clearly, and in greater detail, what their role is in collectively helping to conserve energy and use it wisely.”
He also implored students to make full use of the knowledge gained during the programme.
“What you have gained today is not merely a memory to be forgotten once the programme ends – make it a practice and a culture, no matter where you are. You can be the pioneers of a sustainable culture,” he said.
“This strategic collaboration by TNB and SMG is a noble endeavour that reflects a commitment to nurturing a young generation that is energy-literate and sustainable-minded to secure a greener future for the nation.”
15-year-old Nur Aira Saffiya Md Yuszaini said the programme was highly beneficial, noting that the activities were engaging and easy to understand. “The programme provided many learning benefits, and the activities carried out were very easy to understand and fun. It had a positive impact on us and made it easier to grasp the concept of electricity conservation,” she said.
Four years in
As part of the Malaysia Energy Literacy Programme (MELP) initiative, PTF began in 2023 with a single-region run through the Klang Valley, reaching 890 students across 10 schools.
Its second year pushed further along the west coast in Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Perak, Penang and Johor, scaling up to 4,545 students and 60 schools.
The third edition shifted east and north, venturing to Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan, Kedah and Perlis, reaching 3,248 students across 40 schools.
After completing the Putrajaya, Selangor and Melaka editions, PTF 4.0 will now go to Perak for its final leg.
MELP is Malaysia’s national energy literacy initiative, established to empower Malaysians with credible energy knowledge and promote informed decision-making towards a sustainable energy future.
Initiated by TNB in 2020, MELP was recognised as a national programme in 2023 and is currently under the purview of the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry (Petra), under the leadership of Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad. Through education, strategic partnerships and community empowerment, MELP aims to drive positive behavioural change by cultivating an energy-literate society that embraces responsible energy consumption, energy efficiency, the adoption of clean energy technologies and electrical safety, contributing to Malaysia’s aspiration of achieving 70% renewable energy capacity and net-zero emissions by 2050.
For info, visit https://melp.my.
