Latest news with #Sirhajwan
The Star
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Sabah teens win Greenovate 2025 with meat floss made of fish scales
KOTA KINABALU: A group of teens from Keningau Vocational College has clinched top honours at the international Greenovate 2025 competition with their groundbreaking creation - Serusik, a sustainable meat floss made from fish scales. Thiery Christian Thomas captained his team, comprising classmate Danish Asyraf and three final-year students, Danial Jauhari Sidar, Faiz Asmaan Hamizan, and Iqwan Qhairi Naidu, to be crowned overall champion of Greenovate 2025 in the regenerative design category for the secondary school group. Greenovatte is an annual competition that challenges students to address real-world obstacles in property and engineering with cutting-edge green thinking. The results were announced last Friday (May 16) on organiser Hong Kong-based Asia Pacific Children and Youth Talent Association's website. Thomas said the name Serusik combines serunding, a traditional meat floss, and sisik (fish scales), reinvented into a sustainable and tasty protein snack. 'This will not only tackle food waste, but transform it into a delicious, marketable delicacy,' said the Tamparuli-born student, who is the middle child among three brothers. Thomas said the idea for Serusik came after noticing that fish scales were often discarded and sometimes caused clogged pipes. 'When we noticed how much fish waste was thrown away, especially scales that were hard to clean and clogged pipes, I knew there had to be a better way to deal with it,' he said. So the five Culinary Arts students brainstormed, developed and tested the product, which has already been sold via pre-orders and small-scale marketing, marking their first business venture. Their mentor, teacher Dr Mohd Sirhajwan Idek, described Thomas as a natural leader and a role model for vocational students. 'He is not only academically excellent, but also leads with heart, vision and purpose. Our goal is to produce entrepreneurs, and students like him show us it is possible even before they graduate,' said Sirhajwan. 'We are turning this product into our college's flagship product. This is also part of our target, which is to produce entrepreneurs,' said Sirhajwan. The team's effort did not go unnoticed as KVC director Lumang Lang also congratulated them for their dedication in applying their culinary skills to develop an innovation that not only has commercial potential but also addresses environmental issues. Despite his many achievements, including past success with a Nyonya-inspired burger patty and as a decorated karate athlete, Thomas remains humble. 'This win is a win for everyone at KVC, and I hope that it will inspire my fellow classmates to continue their creativity because being creative is gold itself,' he said.
The Star
07-05-2025
- Science
- The Star
Keningau college gets global recognition for research initiative
Six Keningau Vocational College educators (left to right) Dayang Siti Khatijah Awang Damit, Rowdella Raymond, Dr Mohd Sirhajwan Idek, Lumang Lang, Sufi Abidin Mislan and Yushahfira Akul showing the certificates they received after successfully publishing their research paper published in a world renowned peer-reviewed academic journal. KOTA KINABALU: A spontaneous idea by an educationist from a remote Sabah college has gained international acclaim. Dr Mohd Sirhajwan Idek, a teacher at Keningau Vocational College (KVC), realised while reading research articles for his academic growth that students could also produce scholarly work. After sharing his idea with colleagues, they started a mission to enhance students' research skills, focusing on methodology. This led to Dr Sirhajwan's colleagues Rowdella Raymond, Sufi Abidin Mislan, Yushahfira Akul, Dayang Siti Khatijah Awang Damit, and college director Lumang Lang co-authoring a research paper. Titled "Equipping Vocational College Students with Statistical Literacy," the paper was published in the International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research. The study was based on feedback from final-year students who attended a workshop on statistical analysis, introducing tests like the T-test, ANOVA, Chi-square, and Correlation. "Our survey showed significant improvement in students' understanding of statistical methods," said Dr Sirhajwan. The workshop also included training on the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Keningau Vocational College's Research and Innovation Department head, Dr Mohd Sirhajwan Idek wants to help students uncover their potential. Students expressed greater confidence and a desire for more technical guidance, and Dr Sirhajwan and his team plan to expand these training sessions. "We aim to produce students who think like researchers—curious, precise, and impactful," he said. Dr Sirhajwan, 37, from Kota Belud, joined KVC in 2012 and now leads the Research and Innovation Department. "Many vocational students present data superficially. We guide them to analyse it meaningfully," he added. His mission was reignited in 2018 after meeting his academic idol, educator Scott Thornbury, at a UK conference. Dr Sirhajwan was awarded a scholarship to present his research, with Thornbury as his mentor. "He told me he was proud of me. That moment meant everything," he recalled. Inspired, Dr Sirhajwan continues to lead with purpose. "Teaching equips youth with skills for nation-building and nurturing them into compassionate individuals," he said. Under his leadership, KVC has become a hub for research and innovation, showing that excellence can emerge from remote corners of Malaysia.
