16^th August 2018, Kuala Lumpur – Malaysian Gas Association (MGA) in collaboration with Petrosains, supported by the Ministry of Education (MoE) held its annual Energy Efficiency Programme (EEP) for the fifth consecutive year to drive appreciation for energy efficiency and conservation among the younger generation.

This year’s EEP saw 240 secondary students from 6 schools participate in a two-day per school programme at the Petrosains Discovery Centre, learning to use micro:bit, an educational tool that makes coding easier and more accessible. This specially tailored Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiative teaches students to code programmes to automate systems such as timetable scheduling, smoke detectors and water sprinklers in their schools, translating new learnings to practical solutions.

Speaking on the programme, MGA President, Hazli Sham Kassim said, “As the lead advocate for the nation’s natural gas industry, at MGA, we recognise the importance of raising awareness on energy, not just among policy makers and corporations, but also amongst students, as they are the custodians of the future of our country.”

“EEP offers us a platform to interact directly with students from across the country, share their excitement for learning things and open their minds to new ideas, specifically relating to energy, a critical component of a nation’s progress,” he added.

Over the past five years, EEP has hosted over 4,000 students from 60 schools convening diverse, interactive and experiential programmes including the fundamentals of flying mechanism in drones and unmanned aerial vehicles, science demonstrations, presentations on Malaysia’s energy resources and electricity supply systems, as well as discussion on energy conservation practices.

This year’s programme also featured mentoring sessions led by MGA members such as PETRONAS and H Rosen, with industry leaders sharing insights on energy efficiency and the important role natural gas will play in creating a sustainable energy mix. They also shared personal experiences on how STEM has encouraged critical thinking and innovative solutions that helped shape their successful careers.

Commenting on the programme, Mohd Fahmi, ICT teacher from SMK Keramat Wangsa said, “Participating in the EEP this year has been a particularly invaluable experience for our students and I thank MGA for this opportunity. It has not only provided the students with a systematic and practical experience of coding to develop digitised solutions to real life situations, but also interaction with mentors that are able to guide and share their insights.”

Following the two-day programme at Petrosains, students are required to build a prototype using the micro:bit kits provided by MGA. The two best groups from each school will be chosen based on their creativity in overcoming the problem as well as the functionality and efficiency of the proposed solutions. The selected groups will then be invited back in September to present their projects to a panel comprising of representatives from MoE, MGA and Petrosains who will choose the top two projects.

Leading her team, Huda Izzati of SMK Keramat Wangsa said, “I thoroughly enjoyed the two days of EEP. I am so happy to learn how to code and am not scared of trying out new programmes. My team’s next goal is to win the competition and make our school proud of us.”

“I really look up to the MGA representatives for spending time with us and answering all our questions. They also gave us practical tips on saving energy. This is something I will always remember and share with my family too,” she added.

In addition to EEP, MGA also reaches out to university students through its yearly Practical Environmental, Safety and Industrial Guidance for Student Engineers (PRESTIGE) programme to raise awareness on health, safety and environment issues and challenges faced by modern engineers.

For more information on EEP, please visit www.malaysiangas.com