CHIEF Minister Chow Kon Yeow has urged students to stay curious, keep asking questions and dare to tackle difficult problems as they prepare to navigate a rapidly changing world shaped by technology and artificial intelligence.
He said students should not immediately look to others for solutions when faced with challenges, but instead develop the confidence to ask themselves whether they could try solving the problem themselves.
“Do not immediately ask, ‘Who can solve this?’ Ask yourself, ‘Why can’t I try?’” he said at the closing ceremony of the APEX Bootcamp at TAR UMT’s main hall in Tanjung Bungah today.
Chow said he hopes the 400 students from 41 secondary schools across Penang will carry curiosity, courage, and perseverance beyond the programme.
“That is the attitude I hope you will carry with you beyond APEX – the curiosity to ask, the courage to try and the determination to keep going when the answer does not come easily,” he said.
He said such a mindset is increasingly important as artificial intelligence, automation, robotics and other emerging technologies continue to transform the way people live and work.
More than 1,000 students from five districts took part in the bootcamp, organised by the Penang Math Platform (PMP) and supported by various sponsors and partners.
For Penang, Chow said developing talent is particularly important as the state moves towards higher-value activities in electrical and electronics, semiconductors and high-technology manufacturing.
“Your calculator can solve an equation. Artificial intelligence can generate an answer. But the ability to ask the right question – that still belongs to you,” he said.
Chow said Penang needs to move from STEM exposure to STEM opportunity by giving students more opportunities to experience technology in practical settings and understand how their skills can translate into future careers.
He added that talent development should also cover TVET, digital skills, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and other capabilities for future economies, as each student has different interests and passions.
He said the recently launched Penang STEM Talent Pilot Project, with an allocation of RM12 million over four years to 2030 and a target of reaching 100,000 students, will help provide such opportunities while strengthening links between the government, schools and industry.
He said the initiative should not be measured merely by the number of students reached, but by whether young people can discover their interests, develop their abilities and see pathways to meaningful opportunities.
Chow also urged industry partners to expose students to real-world workplaces by allowing them to meet engineers, scientists and technicians and see the technologies and problems being tackled in industry.
He said such experiences can help turn subjects taught in classrooms into potential career pathways.
Chow congratulated the APEX participants for completing the programme and thanked industry partners, sponsors, teachers and parents for their support.
He said Penang’s future will be shaped by young people who are ready not only to use technology, but also to create what comes after it.
“I hope many of you will be among them,” he said.
Praising the 400 finalists, Chow concluded: “You showed up. You contributed. You finished strong.”
Chow visited the students’ booths showcasing their innovative projects upon arrival and before he left the ceremony. He was accompanied by PMP general manager Johnny Ong, TAR UMT Penang deputy branch head (Research & Development) Assoc Prof Lim Khai Yin, state Education deputy director (Student Development Sector) Fadzil Sadikin, Flex Penang Learning & Development manager Sanjeet Mohan, SRS LRT project director Datuk Adil Putra Ahmad and Penang STEM assistant manager Syakirah Ahmad Rushaidi.
Ong said initiatives conducted by PMP, such as the APEX Bootcamp, help complement what schools teach rather than compete with them.
“APEX Bootcamp is about what you’ve learnt in schools; you apply it in real life – a test application. If you don’t win, there is always a next time. Keep learning, keep failing and keep trying,” he said.
He said the event marked the culmination of seven hands-on learning programmes, including Data Science with Artificial Intelligence, Digital Technology, 3D Design, Graphic Design, Microsoft Excel, Junior Data Scientist and MoneyWise.
He also expressed his gratitude to the various sponsors, partners, volunteers, teachers and parents for their support for the initiative, which aims to develop a future-ready talent pipeline aligned with the Penang 2030 Vision and the Penang STEM Blueprint.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi
Video by Alissala Thian
