12/05/2026

LYFE TUESDAY | MAY 12, 2026

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Young talents, brilliant minds, bright futures M ENTAL ability is often assumed to be limited, with every person having their own individual The Mind Games are held every year to search for and highlight talented individuals with acute mental skills. o Mind Competition 2026 expands for children to uncover hidden potential Ű BY GREGORY SHANE conference, Ling Ting managed to recite 40 random numbers backwards after a brief moment of memorisation and even pinpoint specific numbers in the sequence. Such memory skills are event. Seamlessly being able to handle mental calculations with four to five digit figures, Rue An can be considered a “human calculator”.

Training since the age of four, Rue An has made great progress in calculations but similarly to Ling Ting, her skills were trained. Rue An’s father Keh Ee Yen commented his daughter was “quite an active kid”, which would usually make training impossible. However, that energy was used to channel her concentration into a more productive outcome. Enrolling in mathematics school SoroTouch – which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to tailor questions to kids and help them grow – Rue An used calculations to channel her energy into learning and has shown rapid improvement ever since. Her mother Christine Lok said she “never expected” her daughter to progress this far with training, but Rue An adapted quickly to the AI-based education and has shown skyrocketing progress. Talent or training? With these children representing the MMLM’s results in recent years, the question of “whether hard work or talent matters more?” comes to mind. However, their parents have said training has been the most effective

jaw-dropping for a child, but her father Teo Kim Foo, 46, claims otherwise. He claimed Ling Ting had “no talent and no inborn ability” and achieved what she had through training. In her pre-school years, Ling Ting had difficulty with spelling and her marks were not outstanding among her peers – but through her father’s support and guidance she is where she is today. Kim Foo is not only the chief judge for the Mind Competition 2026 memory category, but also a two time gold medallist in the World Memory Competition. Like his daughter, Kim Foo recalled his “memory was very terrible” and at age 13, he started learning memory techniques taught by his teacher. As such, Kim Foo was able to train his daughter and also relate to her struggles during the initial stages while providing her guidance. Mental arithmetic Another child with a similar skill is Keh Rue An, 6, who demonstrated mental calculations at the MMLM

capacity. More often than not, these limitations are placed on kids, who are judged by their abilities after a brief observation period. Children who demonstrate outstanding mental abilities – often beyond the capabilities of adults – are labeled as being born with natural talent. The Malaysia Mental Literacy Movement (MMLM) refutes this claim as its research into cognitive abilities has proved otherwise, alongside children who have followed along in their annual activities. Mind Competition 2026, participants are tested in memory, calculation and creative thinking, while being rewarded for their skills. Among this year’s participants was nine-year-old Teo Ling Ting who won the Mind Competition 2025 Special Prize for the Children’s Category (aged nine and under). In a demonstration held at the Mind Competition 2026 press Accurate memory In MMLM’s annual

Kim Foo and his daughter Ling Ting aim high for this year’s Mind Competition. – ALL PICS BY GREGORY SHANE/THE SUN

Teik has mentioned the goal of the initiative is to expose children to STEM – science, technology, engineering and maths – education, to further promote national development. This has also led to MMLM expanding its competition venues to Sabah in 2026 and at the same time, open the competition to participants of all ages. With the goal of promoting mental literacy in mind, Chuah hopes to gradually reverse the declining number of science students in the country, which currently stands at less than 20% of the student population. As such, the Mind Competition 2026 is not just about competing for prizes but it is also a way to uncover the hidden potential of children by giving them the opportunity to shine at their brightest.

in drawing out a child’s latent potential. Children such as Rue An and Ling Ting were not born with superhuman talents but with the right training, they were able to demonstrate incredible skills. The MMLM’s Mind Competition stimulates children through competitions and gives them a goal to pursue, allowing them to practise their skillsets and further improve it. Most importantly, the children gain a trait that is most important when growing up – confidence. Taking the lead With MMLM leading brain-based research and learning in Malaysia, talents such as Rue An and Ling Ting have begun to emerge and show potential for the country’s prospects. MMLM chairman Academician Emeritus Prof Tan Sri Dr Chuah Hean