Award-winning Malaysian inventors talk about turning ideas into sustainable solutions

Inventions drive human progress, and it all starts with an idea. That was the encouragement participants received at the talk on “Ideation & Teamwork”— to ideate.

Organised by the Malaysian Invention and Design Society (MINDS) UTAR-Chapter on 26 February 2025 at UTAR Kampar Campus, the talk featured MINDS Meritorious Award winner and inventor of the Ocean Wave Power System Mr Bao Kiew Wu, and Creator of the internationally recognised Efinity Water Filter Ms Teng Yu-Mein.

The talk began with a welcome speech by the President of MINDS, Academician Tan Sri Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Augustine Ong Soon Hock, followed by an opening speech from MINDS UTAR-Chapter Advisor Dr Chakr Sri Na Nagara. Also present were Organising Chairperson Tan Xin Ru, members of other MINDS Chapter, UTAR staff and participants.

Mr Bao’s talk titled “Design Thinking and Innovation” enlightened participants on the importance of mindset in innovation. He explained that for change, improvement, and innovation to happen, one must first change one’s mindset and understand the world, which is shaped by concepts, transient or contemporary truths, and relativity through interaction with all five senses.

He elucidated, “Innovation is built on the power of observation and problem-solving. All answers to creativity and innovation can be found in nature. Creativity and innovation are the results of many years of hard work, research, and development (R&D). All things that exist are conditional, relying on supporting technologies, components, or systems to sustain their existence.”

The talk continued with Mr Bao sharing his innovation journey, discussing the idea, challenges, and process of realising the Ocean Wave Power System, which eventually won the Gold Medal Award at ITEX 2024 and the Meritorious Award 2024 at USM Penang. The invention harnesses ocean wave energy and converts it into kinetic energy, presenting a viable solution for renewable energy generation.

Hoping to inspire participants, Ms Teng shared how she was first inspired by her husband, who is also an inventor. Her innovation journey began when she discovered that the Orang Asli community was consuming murky water during her visit to their village. She saw the need for them to have a water filtering system.

In 2016, she registered her company, Efinity Social Enterprise, with the mission to improve the well-being of rural communities and victims of disasters, and achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Clean water and sanitation. The goal was also to create a simple water filtering system that did not require water pressure from a tap or an electric pump, while ensuring it remained affordable and durable.

Through overcoming challenges, and improving the design, Efinity Water Filter was finally created. It functions easily by pumping some air to force the water out through the filter, and clean water is obtained. Participants also learnt that the filter is easily maintained and cleansed. Users simply open the housing and wash the filter element. The membrane filter is durable, lasting three to four years. Further proving its efficiency, the product and its filtered water were tested in an Australian lab and by a French NGO, both of which showed impressive results. Soon after, the product was deployed to the Orang Asli community all over Malaysia.