KOTA KINABALU: Having only a limited time to prepare was not a setback for a group of Form Four students from SM Sains Sabah, who outwitted their mainly older contenders to emerge champions in the Sabah leg of the RHB-The Star Mighty Minds challenge.
The team comprising Adam Abdul Rahman, Jerry Mclean Jonis and Rifhan Irdina Jupri came out tops in the upper secondary category.
Teacher Mohd Sham Sidek, said the team was put together only five days before the event.
Smiling proudly: Siaw (left) and The Star assistant manager, marketing services (promotion) Victor Cheong Hon Mun flanking the upper secondary winning team, SM Sains Sabah during the Mighty Minds State Challenge at 1Borneo Shopping Complex in Kota Kinabalu yesterday. The team comprises (from left) Jerry Mclean Jonis, Adam Abdul Rahman, Rifhan Irdina Jupri and teacher Mohd Sham Sidek.“We had a first team comprising fifth formers who had been preparing for several months.
“The idea was for this team to gain experience so we had no expectations of them winning,” said a beaming Mohd Sham.
Students from SM St Francis Convent – Georgina Tai, Charlene Chee and Kirane Ann Tangau – emerged winners for the lower secondary category.
The two champion teams won RM3,000 and a desktop computer for their schools. They were among 360 students from 37 schools who took part in the event held at the 1Borneo Hypermall on Saturday.
For the upper secondary category, second placing went to SM La Salle while third spot went to SMK Limbanak in Penampang.
While for the lower secondary category, Maktab Rendah Sains Mara took second spot with SM St Michael Penampang in third spot.
On hand to give away the prizes were RHB Bank Bhd Regional Director for Sabah Siaw Kok Chee and The Star’s marketing services assistant manager Victor Cheong.
Siaw noted that among the participating schools were SMK Nabawan from the remote interior of the Pensiangan district, and SMK Pitas, some five to seven hours drive from the state capital.
The competition is jointly organised by Star Publications (M) Bhd and RHB Banking Group while the food and beverage partner is McDonald’s Malaysia.
(The Star Online)