MOSTI Recognises Country’s Young Scientists, Backs High-impact R&D Projects

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) continues to strengthen the country’s research ecosystem by providing recognition to young scientists, as well as connecting them with industry players and research institutions to foster future strategic cooperation.

Its Minister, Chang Lih Kang, said such efforts were vital considering the field of science cannot progress in isolation and requires strong networks between the research commmunity and industry sectors to accelerate technical and innovation development.

“In the field of science, we cannot work in silo. We must collaborate and that is our goal for having this annual National Young Scientist Award,” he told a media conference after the National Young Scientist Award 2025 ceremony here today.

At the ceremony, Chang presented the award to five young scientist winners, including two researchers from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia - Assoc Prof Dr Goh Hoe Han (Biology category) and Dr Puvaneswaran Chelvanathan (Physics).

The other three are Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Prof Dr Mohd Hazwan Hussin (Chemistry), Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman’s Assoc Prof Dr Chua Jia Xin (Medicine) and Xiamen University Malaysia’s Prof Dr Ong Wee Jun (Engineering).

In addition to the recognition, Chang said MOSTI would also evaluate research and development (R&D) projects carried out by the winners and possibly fund the projects, if an official application is made and the projects meet the stipulated criteria.

“MOSTI will also ensure the award recipients get the opportunity to present their research findings at international forums like the International Conference on Environment and Life Science (ICELS), International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research for Sustainable Innovation (ICMRSI) or Sci4Life Conference 2025,” he said.

Commenting on initiatives to attract students to the fields of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), he said the STI 100³ programme continues to receive encouraging response from students and schools across the country.

As such, he said MOSTI will continue the initiatives together with the existing programmes, such as Malaysia Techlympics and National Science Week (MSN), as well as initiatives specifically for rural areas like  Rela Sains, Kembara Sains Borneo and Science On View.

Meanwhile, Mohd Hazwan, 39, said he was grateful and proud to have been named a winner, given the highly competitive nature of the awards, which received 85 nominations across just five categories.

“I feel that it will motivate young scientists to be more progressive in the field of research and also produce more impactful studies,” said Mohd Hazwan, who won the award for his green technology project related to the production of anti-corrosion products from oil palm biomass waste.

As for Ong, 36, the achievement is not solely the result of his own efforts, but a shared success with his team of researchers, collaborators and mentors who guided him.

“My research focused on green hydrogen, so I now work closely with NanoMalaysia and also MOSTI to develop more sustainable energy and ensure the sustainability of a healthier planet,” he said.

-- BERNAMA