MMLM Mind Competitions 2017

Participants at the Random Words competition

About 800 participated in the Mind Competitions 2017, organised by the Malaysia Mental Literacy Movement (MMLM), Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) held at UTAR Sungai Long Campus on 15 April 2017.

This competition aimed to enhance various skills such as brainpower, creativity, intelligence quotient (IQ), emotional intelligence (EQ), memory skills, mind mapping and critical thinking skills of Malaysians. The competition consists of three main categories namely, Memory Competition, Mind Mapping Competition, and Mental Calculation Competition.

The main categories also consist of sub-categories namely, Random Words, Numbers, Letters of the Alphabet, Dates & Events, Note Making on given topics, Note taking from speech and text, and Mental Calculations (Additions and Multiplications).

Lee (left) and Michelle (right) participating in the Mind Mapping competition 

The oldest participant in the competition, Lee Boon Kian, 69, along with his granddaughter Michelle Shan Lok Yee, eight, participated in all the categories for the first time. “As a retired IT Manager, having good memory skills helps me to work efficiently. I encouraged my granddaughter to challenge her memory capacity because I see great benefits and potential for her growth,” said the 69-year old.

Kasih (top row, second from right) with her schoolmates from SK Jalan Empat

Kasih Amani binti Mudzaffar, from Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Jalan Empat who participated in the Memory Competition said, “I love challenging the limits of my memory. I hope it will improve my academic results, especially for science and mathematics.”

Fourteen-year old Naresh Kumar Balakrishnan from St John’s International School said, “The competitions are tougher than I expected, nonetheless, it trains my mind and I believe they are useful for studying subjects like biology and physics, which requires memorisation,” he said.

Participants at the Mental Calculation competition

Participants stand a chance to win a share of RM60,000. The Winner, 1st Runner-Up and 2nd Runner-Up from each of the categories will receive RM5,000, RM2,000 and RM1,000 respectively. MMLM will also award five consolation prizes worth RM100, Best School Prize, Special Prize for Senior Citizens (age 60 and above), and Children (age nine and below) worth RM500 each for all categories.

 A student from SMK Convent Kajang putting the final touch on her mind map

Also, MMLM will hold the Festival of the Mind in TAR UC Setapak Campus on 8 and 9 July 2017, UTAR Kampar Campus on 15 and 16 July 2017 and simultaneously with the Kuala Lumpur Engineering Science Fair (KLESF) from 3 to 5 November 2017 at the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre (MIECC). Admission to the festival is open to all and it is free of charge.

Results of the Mind Competitions will be posted on MMLM official website on 7 June 2017. For more information on Festival of the Mind, please visit MMLM website at www.utar.edu.my/mmlm.