UTAR students achieved remarkable success at MadHackers 2025, securing top placings and a special award in both the Hack the Future and Excelerate Battle competitions.
The event took place from 8 to 9 May 2025 at Menara Great Eastern Malaysia, and was organised by the UTAR Actuarial Science Society (main organiser) and the UTAR Mathematics Society (co-organiser), with Great Eastern Malaysia as the sole sponsor.
The champion title of Hack the Future was proudly claimed by Gan Min Liang from the Actuarial Science programme under the Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES), together with his team members from Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU). They took home a cash prize of RM3,500. Their winning solution stood out for its innovation, technical depth, and potential real-world impact.
Meanwhile, the Best Presenter Award, along with a cash prize of RM100, was awarded to Lai Jien Weng from the Applied Mathematics with Computing programme under LKC FES, in recognition of his clear and confident pitch delivery. He was the team leader, with team members Janice Ng Zhi Yan (Applied Mathematics with Computing) and Thee Zheng Yi (Financial Mathematics), both from LKC FES.
Their projects demonstrated strong predictive modelling techniques and thoughtful responses during the Q&A session, earning praise from the judging panel.
Six UTAR students also performed exceptionally well in the Excelerate Battle, sweeping multiple top placings:
Chan Yee Fei |
1st Place (RM500 prize) |
Actuarial Science (LKC FES) |
Ng Han Wei |
2nd Place (RM250 prize) |
Actuarial Science (LKC FES) |
Yong Kai Xiang |
4th Place (RM100 prize) |
Actuarial Science (LKC FES) |
Chan Wai Hong |
5th Place (RM80 prize) |
Actuarial Science (LKC FES) |
Ngo Ji Hang |
7th Place (RM50 prize) |
Financial Mathematics (LKC FES) |
Wong Zi Yee |
8th Place (RM50 prize) |
Accounting (FAM) |
These achievements reflect the students’ strong analytical skills, innovative thinking, and ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical challenges in data science and financial modelling.
MadHackers 2025 – Hack the Future is a premier hackathon aimed at nurturing student talent in data science, machine learning, and predictive analytics. The competition provided participants with the opportunity to tackle real-world data challenges, collaborate in high-pressure settings, and present impactful solutions to industry leaders.
The Excelerate Battle is an Excel-based competition that empowers students to showcase and elevate their skills in spreadsheet usage, including data manipulation, formula construction, and problem-solving under timed conditions.
UTAR congratulates all the winners for their outstanding performance and for bringing pride to the university through their hard work and excellence.
Champion: Gan (third from right) with his team members
Best Presenter: Lai Jien Weng (left)
Winners of Excelerate Battle competition
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