This is the story that prescribly describes how a Sabahan boy who is determined to be a maker and embarks on his own maker path to be a future engineer.

When I was 16, I discovered my new field of interest after I attended a special programming outreach programme held by the Hap Seng group. This is my first time encountering something different, something unique as compared with what I had learnt during school time. Programming is rarely familiar in our rural area. We were the first group of students to take advantage of this opportunity to learn basic programming and circuitry, and this is how I began my maker adventure. In 2018, I gained valuable and fruitful experience as president of the Maker Club, which is supported by the Tenom Innovation Centre and MDEC. Not only that, I was given numerous opportunities to collaborate with the external innovators; managed several workshops that were primarily organised by the students, and joined some of the innovation competitions to come up with an IoT-based prototype to solve problems.

With the aforementioned experiences, I was honoured to receive my first precious “Tokoh Kelab & Persatuan” award, together with the best club award, under Maker club. I had successfully secured my full scholarship, along with a great result in my SPM, to enrol at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS. I still recall being asked why I was chosen rather than the other candidates during an interview with PETRONAS. I confidently replied, “Because I’m a maker,” and this is how I aced the interview process overall.

I was gradually transitioning from a youthful maker into a prospective chemical engineer when I began to go on a completely new path. However, an engineer’s basic competence is their ability to create.  An engineer is introduced to make a difference, to create opportunities, and to provide solutions. This is the reason why, up till now, I’ve been genuinely passionate about what I’m doing today as a future engineer. I never stopped inspiring others on the maker journey, kept expanding my connections, and participated in a number of professional sessions and competitions to advance my skills and abilities.

My maker’s journey never stops, as it does not have a duration limit on it. I’m glad to have my friends, teachers, and parents who understand me and keep supporting me throughout my journey. Throughout the voyage, I will never give up on following my own maker’s path and strive to achieve every mountaintop. I hope that my story can inspire a young person who is enthusiastic about making a difference and creating solutions. “Never hold back in chasing your dream as a maker.”