06/01/2026

TUESDAY | JAN 6, 2026

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EDUCATION NEWS

Designers invoke cultural legacies M ALAYSIA’S next generation of designers are turning cultural stories into future ready spaces with two local o Malaysia AYDA gold winners represent nation at regional level

ways, one reviving the fragmented coastal identity of the Bajau community in Sabah, and the other transforming an abandoned Luoyang factory into a poetic space celebrating the art of Chinese calligraphy. Their wins reflect a growing shift among young

students emerging as Gold Award win ners at the 2025 Asia Young Designer Awards (AYDA). Both will move to the

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regional level, competing with other students from 19 countries, with the opportunity to secure RM6,000 in cash prizes and an all expenses-paid experience at the Harvard Graduate School of Design’s Design Discovery Program. E

Malaysian designers, to use design not merely to create structures, but to preserve identity, strengthen community, and give voice to culture, that stands at risk of becoming just a memory. This direction is echoed in this year’s AYDA theme, T T E R S N

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Universiti Malaya’s Michelle Vun Yi Ling (Architecture) and City University Malaysia’s Xu Yinghai (Interior Design) were honoured for projects that reimagine heritage in contemporary

“Coverage: Legacies,“

Crafting

Cultural

left, Vun and Xu reflect the thinking of the younger generation of designers, to use culture for their designs.

which encourages participants to rediscover the traditions, practices , and narratives that shape their communities.

observe, talk, and learn from one another and a learning zone that explains the history and meaning behind the art. By turning an old factory into an accessible, cultural space, Track INK brings writing, tradition, and community together, helping people reconnect with a heritage that is slowly fading from everyday life. Xu said: “Returning to AYDA this year, I wanted to use design to give voice to a tradition that has grown faint with time. Track INK was my way of translating emotion, memory, and culture into space. Winning the Gold Award reassures me that thoughtful design can still spark connection and preserve what matters.” For more information about AYDA, follow the AYDA Facebook page, AYDA MALAYSIA or visit www.asiayoungdesignerawards.com.my breaking the cycle of poverty, standing with them from their first exam to their final degree,” she said. Suhaimi Ramly, COO of Pandai said: “Building good learning habits early and support from the community can make all the difference. We’re encouraged to see organisations such as GXBank championing early education, and we hope education continues to be a national focus - ensuring every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.” In order to provide support for a financially resilient Malaysia, both organisations ran a financial literacy workshop for the parents during its soft launch. This underscores the core promise of the “Impian Gigih” initiative: a holistic ecosystem that combines financial education with academic support to break the cycle of poverty, guiding underserved talent from their first exam all the way to their final degree.

and community are inseparable. I wanted to honour the Bajau people’s stories while exploring how design can support their future.” Interior Design Award Gold Winner City University Malaysia’s Xu Yinghai project, Track INK, transforms an abandoned red-brick factory in Luoyang into a serene cultural sanctuary that revives the fading art of Chinese calligraphy. Inspired by the way calligraphy moves — the brush strokes, the flow of ink — Xu designed a space that lets people experience these qualities in a simple, hands-on way. He used clean timber frames, soft lighting, and easy to-understand displays to create a space that feels calm and welcoming. The project is organised into three straightforward areas, the hands-on zone, where visitors can try basic calligraphy strokes, a social area where people can with free premium access to digital learning tools to help primary six students prepare for their final year assessment. Rosmafatimawati Othman, parent of a Year 6 student from SK Taman Medan, shared her appreciation for the initiative. “Watching your child struggle without being able to afford help is heart-breaking. This programme changed that. It wasn’t just better grades; it was seeing his confidence grow,” she said. Hildah Hamzah, Deputy CEO and COO of GXBank, said: “Bernama reported over 1,500 primary school dropouts last year. It is just a statistic, but it represents the broken dreams of those young Malaysians due to financial constraints. “Through this initiative, we want to keep igniting a love for learning, especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) - to drive social mobility and build resilience. We are committed to

Architectural Gold Award Winner Michelle Vun Yi Ling, gold award winner, caught the judges’ attention with a project that asks a powerful question: “Can design help protect a culture before it disappears?” Her project, “Reimagining Floating Future: Tanjung Aru Tourism Experiential Hub,” focuses on the coastal community of Tanjung Aru in Sabah, where the rich Bajau heritage has been slowly fading due to disconnected spaces and an underused waterfront. Vun’s solution brings these pieces back together. She designed a floating, community-led tourism hub featuring spaces like the ‘Sambulayang Studio’, a ‘lepa’ (traditional Bajau) boat repair workshop, and floating food areas — all inspired by the Bajau people’s deep relationship with the sea. Vun said: “This project allowed me to better understand how culture

Vun’s proposal to transform Bajau culture is to connect it to a tourism hub.

Primary six students achieve higher scores IN its continued efforts to empower young Malaysians through education, GXBank, Malaysia’s first digital bank, improved the academic scores of 100 primary school students from undeserved communities. Over 40% of students improved their average scores, with the highest increase in mathematics. The students took part in the 2025 “Impian Gigih Dermasiswa programme”, designed to provide academic support ahead of their exams. Together with Pandai, a Malaysian online learning platform, GXBank and Pandai organised 12 weeks of additional tutorial classes coupled

Students were supported to achieve higher overall scores in their year end assessment exams

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