Gold coast: Three Orang Asli pupils from Sekolah Kebangsaan Pengkalan Tereh, Kluang, Johor have brought glory to Malaysia after winning the gold medal in the Creative Idea (Primary School) category of the 27th International Robot Olympiad (IRO2025) in Gold Coast, Australia.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Muhammad Fakhri Che Lah, the team's teacher advisor, attributed their success in creating a robot rover to study the surface of Mars to detailed preparation throughout a year. The pupils engaged in continuous training at school, developing various robot designs on the space theme before selecting the most suitable one during the competition.

Team member Vyonnie Jezzy James Marcel, 12, expressed her surprise at their victory, noting the challenge of acting fast and accurately. She explained that while some parts of the task were challenging, they completed their robot in three and a half hours using two sensors, high screen line, and ultrasonic, outperforming contestants from 15 other countries.

Meanwhile, Petrosains Learning Department and Satellite Centre director Norhana Hamim highlighted the significance of this achievement in proving the effectiveness of Petrosains Tech4All's inclusive approach in empowering STEM education. She emphasized that the success dispelled misconceptions about the capabilities of Orang Asli students in international competitions.

The Malaysian contingent to IRO2025, comprising 15 Orang Asli primary school pupils, also secured a bronze medal and three technical awards. This accomplishment was supported by strategic partnerships between Petrosains, the Education Ministry, and the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation (OPITO).