17-year-old Muhammad Syakir Zailani will represent Malaysia for the fourth time at the Global IT Challenge in Vietnam.
KOTA BHARU: Despite his physical limitations, 17-year-old Muhammad Syakir Zailani, from Kelantan, is set to represent Malaysia at the Global IT Challenge in Vietnam from Oct 26 to 30.
The student of Sekolah Menengah Ketereh will compete in the E-Content category, marking his fourth participation in the international competition, where he has won three gold medals in his previous two appearances.
Muhammad Syakir said he was confident and ready to compete on the international stage again after being selected to represent Kelantan.
“This upcoming competition, held from Oct 26 to 30, will be my fourth time participating, following my selection to represent Kelantan in this prestigious event.
“In 2024, I won two gold medals in the same competition in Manila, the Philippines, in the ‘e-tool spreadsheet’ and ‘e-life map’ categories. In 2023, I also won a gold medal in the ‘e-tool spreadsheet’ category in Dubai.
“Despite being a person with disabilities (PwD), I have never viewed my limitations as an obstacle to competing internationally. In fact, I have successfully brought home gold medals,” he told reporters at an aid distribution ceremony here today.
Muhammad Syakir aspires to become an information technology (IT) expert in the future.
Meanwhile, Kelantan Education Department director Siti Norina Muhamad said the department had established a committee to monitor air quality in the state amid the haze affecting several other states.
She said the committee continuously monitored the situation through Air Pollutant Index (API) readings from two monitoring stations in Kota Bharu and Tanah Merah.
“We advise all educators and students, especially those at higher risk, to take care of their health. We also encourage the use of face masks to reduce exposure to air pollution,” she said.