The 11th MFotM

With the vision of every Malaysian optimising their mind’s unlimited potential and developing their brainpower, the 11th Malaysia Festival of the Mind (MFotM) staged the final session at Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) Kuala Lumpur (KL) Main Campus, Setapak from 3 to 4 October 2015.

Tun Ling touring the exhibition hall

Present at the launching ceremony were UTAR Council and Malaysia Mental Literacy Movement (MMLM) Chairman Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Council Member Jay Yeunh Wee Tiong, TAR UC President Datuk Dr Tan Chik Heok, MMLM committee members, and representatives of the media.

The 11th MFotM finale in KL featured 14 talks, seven workshops, and an exhibition with 25 booths which attracted over 1,400 visitors comprised of students, families, teachers, and the public.

From left: Datuk Tan, Jay Yeunh, and Tun Ling

MMLM Chairman Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik said, “In today’s globalised and competitive world, maximising brainpower is no longer an option, it is a necessity. To excel in life, one needs to adapt oneself and face new challenges intelligently and positively. These new challenges require one to find new and creative ways of problem solving.”

The last session of the 11thMFotM at KL was launched by the Guest of Honour who is Managing Partner of DMP Architects Sdn Bhd and member UTAR Council Jay Yeunh Wee Tiong. He said, “Our brains make us curious learners, innovative creators, memory keepers, and intelligent thinkers. These are gifts that give us and the world we live in a huge advantage to continue growing, expanding, and developing,” adding that, “Our brains learn to function systematically in a gradual manner which may seem trivial, yet they are a part of our lives that we have often overlooked. The Mind Festival is a great opportunity for us to discover the mysteries of our little attics and explore methods to maximise the potential of our brains.”

During the launching ceremony, the guests and visitors were amazed by the brainpower of the Mental Arithmetic Olympics 2012 Bronze medal winner West Wong and the President of Malaysia Memory Sports Council and International Master of Memory Teo Kim Foo as they showcased their mental powers.

Wong and Teo demonstrated their memory power to the audience

More excitingly, cash prizes totalling RM 57,000 were presented to the winners of Memory Competition, Mind Mapping Competition, and Mental Calculation Competition at the launching ceremony of the 11th MFotM (KL).

The youngest winner from the Mind Competitions was Ng Yi Jing from Ipoh. “I’m very surprised that I won two prizes from such a big event even though this is my first time joining the festival. I’ll save the cash prizes in the bank and spend them for meaningful purposes in the future,” said the nine-year-old.

The Best School Prize for Memory Competition (Random Alphabet) was St Paul’s Institution, Seremban. The school teacher Shanmugan said, “It’s a very memorable moment for me and the students. I also want to thank MMLM and UTAR for sending experienced speakers and trainers to our school for talks and workshops. These efforts have inspired my students to learn the techniques and skills to maximise their brainpower and apply them in their studies.”

Jay Yeunh presenting a certificate to a winner

Besides the Mind Competitions, a series of meaningful events has been organised nationwide to advocate mental literacy awareness among Malaysians. In August, the Mind Festival in Kampar, Perak had attracted over 2,400 visitors. This was followed by a Special Dialogue Session on 10 August at UTAR Sungai Long Campus featuring three notable presenters, including Malaysia’s fourth Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad.

A concerted effort by the MMLM, UTAR, and TAR UC, crowd-pulling festivals in the past had scores of prominent speakers and trainers introducing and promoting various techniques and skills pertaining to improvement of mental literacy among Malaysians. These include mind creativity, thinking skills, personality profiling, speed reading, emotional intelligence, brainpower, mind power, memory management and many more.

Aptly themed “Sharpening Your Mind, Boosting Your Brain”, the last session of the 11th MFotM at TAR UC KL also offered a line-up of enriching talks and workshops with free admission, ranging from understanding the nature and versatility of the human mind to bringing out the best of the human brain.

A participant in the Fire in Your Hand science experiment

Mind-related talks covered during the festival were ‘Rewiring the Brain via the 7 Secrets Rhythm’ by Elanggovan Thanggavilo, ‘The 5 Habits of a Human Calculator’ by West Wong, The Strongest Brain Memory Techniques’ (Mandarin) by Teo Kim Foo, ‘Emotional Excellence in Our Lives’ (Mandarin) by Ivan Leong Chee Hoe, ‘Mind Your Mind, Find Your Mine’ by Khooi Chu Boon, ‘The MOSTI Funded Brain-Computer Interface Wheelchair Project’ by Prof Dato’ Ir Dr Goh Sing Yau, ‘Living the Law of Attraction’ by SK Tan, ‘Discover your Success Life Colour’ by Evelyn Leong, ‘How Mindfulness Benefits Learning and Concentration’ by Lily Kong, ‘Speed Reading’ by S. Jeyaraman, ‘The Leader’s Mind’ by Prof Dr Peter Shepard, ‘Yoga and Ayurveda’ by Saandhi Sambad, ‘Puzzles in Education-The Nikoli Project’ by Lee Yee Dian, and ‘EQ Management Mindscience Way’ by Ng Thian Watt.

Besides that, there were seven workshops during the two-day festival, namely ‘Discovering Your Talent & Multiple Intelligences with LifePrint’ by Eyrique Loh, ‘Developing Higher Order Thinking Skills the Fun and Magical Way’ by Teoh Poh Yew, ‘Healthy Sleep for Learning and Memory’ by Lily Kong, ‘The No-Finger Formula to Maths’ by West Wong, ‘The Strongest Brain Memory Techniques’ (Mandarin) by Teo Kim Foo, ‘Rewiring the Brain via the 7 Secrets Rhythm’ by Elanggovan Thanggavilo, and ‘The Happiness Generator’ by SK Tan.

The finale of the 11th MFotM ends with fun-filled activities

The annual festival aims to create a greater awareness among Malaysians of all ages on how to develop thinking, memory, and creativity skills. The 11th MFotM was proudly supported by The Star, Grand Kampar Hotel, MBA Edge, Berroca, Redoxon, Delfi, Dilmah, Pizza Hut, and Hosen Group.