Taking engineering to the next level requires innovative thinking and skills. Three Bachelor of Chemical Engineering with Honours students from the Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES), Damon Lim Ching Ann, Riker Si Tee Kirk, and Sor Yap Kai, showcased their engineering innovation at Unleashing Engineer’s Potential: An Engineering Challenge 2025 (AEC 2025), where they clinched the 2nd Runner-Up in the Technical Case Study Competition.
From left: Dr Shuit, Riker Si, Damon Lim, Sor, and Dr Yap after the prize-giving ceremony at AEC 2025
The team won a cash prize of RM200 and certificates. They were advised by LKC FES academics Assoc Prof Dr Pang Yean Ling, Ts Dr Shuit Siew Hoong, Assoc Prof Dr Steven Lim, Dr Yap Yeow Hong, and Dr Ng Yee Sern.
AEC 2025 was organised by the Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Club (CEUC), Universiti Malaya. Themed Digital Harmony: Integrating Technology for a Balanced Future, the competition aimed to provide participants with a platform to enhance their technical skills, critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and practical knowledge in engineering. It also fostered innovative thinking by presenting real-world challenges, promoting teamwork and collaboration, and facilitating networking opportunities between participants and industry professionals.
The AEC 2025 Technical Case Study Competition was organised as a two-round competition, encompassing the Preliminary Round (24 February – 24 March 2025) and the Final Round (26 April 2025).
In their research project titled Biodegradable Coatings from Palm Oil Oleochemicals: A Step Toward Plastic-Free Packaging, the UTAR team proposed an innovative solution to convert Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) into biodegradable coating materials, including Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and Polybutylene Succinate (PBS). They evaluated the feasibility of the emerging bioplastic pathways in comparison to conventional options like polylactic acid (PLA).
Through a comparative assessment of environmental impact, production cost, and scalability, the team proposed an integrated biorefinery model that leverages existing palm oil infrastructure. This model supports Malaysia’s carbon credit incentives to promote a circular economy and sustainable manufacturing in the oleochemical industry. Additionally, the research aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 13: Climate Action, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, and SDG 14: Life Below Water.
From left: Damon Lim, Riker Si, and Sor presenting their research ideas during the final round of the Technical Case Study Competition
Damon Lim Ching Ann, the team leader, who also won 1st Runner-Up in the AEC 2023 Technical Essay Writing Competition, said, “I was very happy and excited to win in AEC again. I’ve always been passionate about these types of interactions between universities and industries. Being able to collaborate with such diverse experts and learning from them is something I truly value.”
He added, “It’s amazing to see how much we’ve grown since last time, and it’s a testament to the hard work, dedication, and teamwork we put in. I’m grateful for the support from our lecturers. The experience this year was both challenging and rewarding. It really strengthened my belief in the ability of these competitions to bring out the best in us as engineers and future leaders.”
For Riker Si Tee Kirk and Sor Yap Kai, the competition was both daunting and exciting as it marked their first experience in an interschool competition. They shared, “We joined because we were curious and wanted to connect with others in the field. It wasn’t just about understanding the technical aspects of chemical engineering—we wanted to learn from other engineers, and exchange ideas and perspectives.”
Competing with the sole aim of learning from the experience, the two young engineers were pleasantly surprised to secure a place among the top finalists. They remarked, “We managed to push through and achieve a result we’re proud of, thanks to the incredible support and guidance from our lecturers. We were especially thrilled because our approach to the case study was slightly unconventional. Rather than taking a strictly theoretical route, we focused more on practical, industrial applications.”
“What made the experience even more rewarding was learning from the judges, who were mostly engineers and industry leaders themselves. Their feedback was invaluable and gave us insights that helped refine our ideas in ways we hadn’t considered before. The opportunity to receive real-world feedback and understand what truly matters in the industry made all the difference in our learning experience,” the duo added.
An Engineering Challenge
AEC is an annual competitive event organised by the CEUC of Universiti Malaya, open to all engineering undergraduates. It challenges students to apply their knowledge and technical skills through various sub-competitions such as the Technical Essay Writing Competition, Technical Video Competition, Technical Infographic Competition, Chemical Engineering Challenge, and Technical Case Study Competition.
This year, AEC attracted more than 100 participants from local universities, including Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Monash University Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM), and UTAR.
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