KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 2026: Sekolah Mengengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Long Bedian, located at Telang Usan district in Baram, has emerged champion at the Petrosains Tech4All 2026 national level competition with its innovative artificial intelligence (AI)-powered waste sorting system.
The school clinched the top prize with its project, Smart Object Recycling Technology (S.O.R.T.), designed to help its school cleaner sort waste more efficiently while promoting environmental sustainability among students.
The system combines AI and Arduino coding, using a camera to identify different types of waste, including cans, plastic and paper, before automatically opening the appropriate bin.
Team member Agustus Antonio Galvin, 12, said the project was inspired by the team’s desire to help their school cleaner, known as Aunty Siti.
“We created S.O.R.T. because we wanted to help Aunty Siti, our school cleaner, sort waste more easily and save time,” he said.
Meanwhile, teacher Hanson Teo Kim Guan, 28, expressed pride in the students' achievement, saying they had successfully applied their knowledge to develop a practical solution to a real-world problem.
“This is our first time participating in Petrosains Tech4All, so seeing our students make it into the Top 10 and eventually emerge as champions is truly meaningful for us,” he said.
The team took home RM3,500 in cash, certificates and exclusive Petrosains merchandise.
The first runner-up from SK Punan, Johor and second runner-up from SK Telanok, Pahang received RM2,500 and RM2,000 respectively, along with certificates and exclusive Petrosains’ merchandise.
Meanwhile, the teams that placed fourth from SK Runchang, Pahang and fifth from SK Padang, Sabah each received RM1,000, certificates and exclusive Petrosains’ merchandise in recognition of their outstanding efforts.
Held at Petrosains, The Discovery Centre, here on Monday, the national competition brought together 40 students and 20 teachers representing 10 schools from Orang Asli and Peribumi communities in Johor, Kelantan, Pahang, Selangor, Sabah and Sarawak.
Now in its third consecutive year, Petrosains Tech4All has evolved from a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outreach initiative into a sustainable platform that empowers Orang Asli and Peribumi students, teachers and communities through robotics, coding, computational thinking and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI).
Through a combination of educator development, hands-on learning and innovation-based challenges, the programme, organised by Petrosains in collaboration with the Ministry of Education's Daily School Management Division with support from OPITO and Hibiscus Petroleum, continues to bridge educational gaps while nurturing future-ready talent across Malaysia.
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