Record-breaking success in School Challenge

 

Legoland Malaysia celebrated record-breaking success in their 2024 Asia-wide Legoland School Challenge hosted with 3,700 students who participated with their LEGO creations in the theme, World of Fantasy.

 

Congratulations to the winning teams at the
Legoland School Challenge 2024

In its third year of the highly anticipated annual School Challenge, Legoland Malaysia continued to build on the strong success of previous years and garnered a positive response as it expanded to include schools from across Asia.

 

Over 3,700 students across the region took part in the competition, setting a new participation record with a total of 554 submissions, 50% higher compared to the previous year.

Uniquely designed LEGO trophies
 

The challenge continued to gain international attention with submissions from ASEAN countries like Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines with three new countries – China, Thailand and Laos.

 

The Legoland School Challenge is an annual competition designed to inspire creativity and innovation among students aged seven to 17.

 

Participants are tasked with building LEGO creations in a specific theme and for this year, the theme was, World of Fantasy.

 

A section of the crowd at the prize-giving event

The challenge encourages students to think critically and work collaboratively, in a hands-on learning experience that integrates STEM concepts and creative storytelling.

 

The competition is open to schools from across Asia, making it a platform for cultural exchange and educational growth.

 

These efforts to expand the challenge to reach diverse and international backgrounds further amplified the cross-cultural potential set by the theme for this year's challenge.

 

Johor Menteri Besar or Chief Minister
 presenting his speech at the event

From fantastical and colourful landscapes to dazzling mythical creatures, the young builders weaved immersive storylines in their LEGO creations inspired by global and local folklore.

 

This year, Legoland Malaysia Resort, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri (JPN), donated 50 LEGO sets to schools across Malaysia that might not otherwise have the opportunity to participate.

 

With the Ministry’s support in identifying and reaching these schools, more students were empowered to bring their creative visions to life and take part in the challenge.

 

“As a strategic partner, we are glad to support Legoland Malaysia Resort in their ongoing drive to empower teachers and students alike with a positive avenue for hands-on learning, where our young ones can develop more STEM-based skills as well as learn to collaborate with others in a fun and engaging environment.

 

Johor Menteri Besar admiring the LEGO
winning creations in the theme, World of Fantasy
 

We are also very proud of the Legoland School Challenge winners, as they represent the incredible potential of our next generation of leaders, thinkers, and builders in Malaysia.

 

The entries we have witnessed from the students are truly inspiring and we hope to continue supporting initiatives of this nature in the future,” said Deputy Director General of Education Malaysia, Zainal Bin Abas.

 

At the prize-giving ceremony, graced by Guest-of-Honour, the Johor Menteri Besar, the excitement that prevailed among the participants was palpable as they eagerly anticipated the announcement of the names of the 16 winning school groups for their outstanding LEGO creations.

 

Team Star Girls from SK Bukit Damansara,
Kuala Lumpur, Grand Prize Winner in the
Primary School Category, 2024

“We are incredibly proud that Johor is the home of both LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort and the LEGOLAND School Challenge. This event not only showcases the creativity and talent of our youth but also aligns perfectly with our state’s commitment to promoting STEM education.

 

I am especially pleased to see such strong participation from schools across Johor, reflecting the enthusiasm and dedication of our students to engaging in innovative and creative endeavors.

 

As we continue to foster innovation and learning in our schools, events like this play a crucial role in preparing our next generation of leaders,” said Johor Menteri Besar, Dato’ Onn Hafiz Bin Ghazi.

 

Team Five Guys from Campus Rangers 
International School, Grand Prize Winner in
the Secondary School Category, 2024

This year saw a high level of international participation, making the competition tougher than ever.

 

The 16 best LEGO creations that stood out from the rest, displayed a wealth of creativity, imagination, innovation, and technical skill that impressed the panel of judges, who comprised expert LEGO builders, designers, and dedicated lifelong LEGO fans.

 

The winning teams, with their truly outstanding and remarkable LEGO builds – all from Malaysia – rose above the strong international field.

 

Team Stardust from SK Convent
Father Barre, Sungai Petani, Kedah,
Third Place, Primary School Category

In the Primary School Category for students aged seven to 12, the Grand Prize Winner was Team Star Girls from SK Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, who impressed the panel of judges with their dazzling three-dimensional creation dubbed, Chronicles of Unity.

 

Meanwhile the Grand Prize Winner in the Secondary School Category for students aged 13 to 17 was Team Five Guys from Campus Rangers International School, Kuala Lumpur, whose creation titled, East:West was a unique split-scale build.

 

“As an initiative that embodies the essence of our LEGO DNA, learning through play, the Legoland School Challenge is something very close to our hearts.

 

We are delighted to have achieved several new milestones this year, from reaching a record-breaking number of submissions to welcoming new teams from countries across Asia, and most importantly, being able to make the challenge even more accessible to underprivileged students nationwide.

 

Team The Mavericks from SK Kubang
Kerian 3, Kota Bahru, Kelantan,
Second Place Winner,
Primary School Category

We are grateful for the support from the Malaysian government in making this success possible and we hope to continue working together to enhance education in the nation.

 

We are more committed than ever to reaching new heights through this programme and look forward to seeing even more international teams participating next year,” said Divisional Director at Legoland Malaysia Resort, CS Lim.

 

The 16 winning teams were awarded a collective prize pool worth more than RM100,000 that included iconic LEGO trophies, LEGO Play Sets and the opportunity to attend an exclusive LEGO Building Workshop with a LEGO Expert Model Builder.

 

This special workshop allowed all winners to learn from the master builders, honing their creativity and LEGO-building skills.

 

In recognition of the teams’ talent and hard work, the winning LEGO models will be displayed at Miniland in Legoland Malaysia Resort until 31 December 2024.

 

Parents, educators, and students can find out more on the Legoland Malaysia Resort official website about the Legoland School Challenge Initiative and education programmes available at Legoland Malaysia Resort.

 

For the latest updates on promotions and activities in Legoland Malaysia Resort, stay connected via the official website or social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

Heritage experience with my family

 

When my sister, Pearly, shared her family’s epic Asian Adventure itinerary with me, I was pleasantly surprised to see that a downtown heritage walk with me was clearly marked for one of their weekends in Johor Bahru.

 

Pearly and her family at the Tan Hiok Nee
Heritage Walk, Johor Bahru

She read all about my heritage walks in downtown Johor Bahru, documented in My Johor Stories and wanted her family from the UK to have a similar walk experience to explore familiar streets that had developed into popular tourist destinations.

 

Closer to that date in August 2024, my sister confirmed that our downtown walk was definitely on but the route need not be long and should be tailored to the tastes of her grandkids, Jamieson and Thea.

 

Mindful of these requirements, I decided that our heritage walk experience should kick off with a drive through Johor Bahru’s Street of Harmony to enjoy views of the city’s landmarks and end with another drive to Iskandar Puteri to see the new state administrative center at Kota Iskandar.

 

Jamieson and Thea with the sketches of Johor
landmarks while their parents look on

I also explained that the city may appear rather cluttered because construction of the Rapid Transit System (RTS) was in progress. I also took them to a nearby spot on the Johor Bahru coast for a panoramic view of the work-in-progress happening across the Straits that would eventually link the Johor and Singapore.

 

That Saturday morning for our outing was cloudy with intermittent light drizzle but it did not deter us from stepping out, well-armed with caps and umbrellas.

 

On the drive downtown, I talked about the warm relationship that our Johor sultans had with the English royal family since the 1800s and that Sultan Abu Bakar adopted many English ways including his choice to wear a bejeweled crown, similar to the crown worn by Queen Victoria.

 

Pearly and her daughter, Melanie, enjoying 
samples before buying a choice of kombucha

The strong relationship between the Johor sultans and the Chinese community here was established when the Johor ruler invited Chinese planters in Singapore and the Indonesian islands to come to open up land in Johor for the cultivation of pepper and gambier in the kangchu system.

 

I then pointed out the iconic motif on the lamp-posts’ design to share with them about Johor’s pepper and gambier heritage, how these plants put Johor on the world map and earned its place of honour in this state.

 

As we walked along Jalan Duke to the front entrance of the Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum at Jalan Ibrahim, I talked about the Chinese practice of filial piety, how the Chinese worked hard in their adopted country to earn enough money to send back to their families in China.

 

Thea and her mum enjoying 
samples of layered cake
 

To do this, a banking system was put in place to safely transfer hard-earned funds overseas, back to their loved ones.

 

Two banks established in the heart of Johor Bahru for this purpose – HSBC and OCBC – still proudly stand at the opposite ends of the Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Walk.

 

As we discussed this, it was indeed a fun exercise to stretch their minds in an attempt to spell out the abbreviations for the full names of these banks.

 

In the lobby of the Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum, the wall poster that charted the chronology of the Chinese contribution to the development of Johor, was a helpful guide to share the highlights in Johor history, all in a nutshell.

 

The series of portraits of the Johor sultans along with visuals of present-day Sultan Ibrahim captured with the rakyat during His Highness’s coronation, the annual Johor Chingay parade and with Chinese community leaders in front of the Dewan Cina, helped me share further details about the strong relationship established between the Johor sultans and the Chinese community in Johor, which continues to this day.

 

Jamieson and his grandmother moving
to feet-tapping live music

Meanwhile, the wall close to the rear entrance of the museum was adorned by large posters that feature sketches of familiar Johor landmark buildings drawn by Johorean savant artist, Yap Hanzhen.

 

It was my pleasure to present his drawings to my family and remind them that I had the privilege to feature this gifted young man along with other Johor people who have impacted other lives, in my 2017 MPH Non-Fiction Bestseller, My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage.

 

We emerged from the museum by its rear entrance for a slow walk to explore the street market set up along the car-free Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Walk that morning. 

 

Thea holding her painted hand-
fan with the lady paint-master

Among the merchandise in the stalls that made us pause and admire, were lovely handicrafts and to sample a range of kombucha by Wexiuhous and a choice of traditional layered cake by The Lapisterie.

 

After browsing around the stalls, Jamie, my nephew asked if they could return to the stall manned by a young lady dressed in traditional Chinese costume, for his kids to try their hand in a fan-painting activity. My reply was, “Certainly!”

 

Earlier on, the youngsters had stopped to observe the fan-painting demonstration by this young lady and expressed their interest to have a go at it…

 

So we backtracked to this young lady who graciously helped the kids to pick their choice of colours to paint the hand-fan that they each picked for themselves.

 

Jamieson with his painted
hand-fan and lady paint-master

Gradually, a small crowd gathered to watch as my grand-nephew and grand-niece took turns to get their fans painted. Their dad was taking photographs to capture as holiday mementoes but someone else was furiously clicking away too.

 

It turned out that he was from the Johor Bahru Tiong Hua Association and when I asked about the photos, Chairman of the Heritage Walk, Jackie Lee, assured me that they will send copies to me. [And they did!]

 

Lee, who was also Vice-President of the Teochew Eight Districts Association, was familiar with me and aware that I have been supporting the Chinese community in Johor by publishing stories about Chinese cultural events in the English language.

[I was then wearing a mask, yet he recognized me!]

 

Satisfied after their fan-painting activity, the kids happily held on to their freshly painted fans as we trekked along Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Walk.

 

Jamie and family with the lady paint-master
[Photo courtesy of JB Tiong Hua Association]

And when live music was heard close to the queue lined up in front of the Hiap Joo traditional bakery, Jamieson and his grandmother could not resist moving to the rhythm of the feet-tapping music…

 

From Jalan Trus, we walked along Jalan Dhoby and made a stop at the Salahuddin traditional bakery to take a peek into their woodfire oven and buy some snacks. [By then, they were very ready for something to nibble on… ]

 

While my sister chose a packet of baked sugee (semolina) biscuits for a taste of nostalgia, the others picked their choices of samosa and savoury snacks.

 

Jamieson AKA the food Hoover, eating a sugee
biscuit as soon as they stepped out of the bakery

As they were paying for their buys, I asked the young merchant behind the counter, a question – just for the benefit of my visiting family, “Are you from the third or fourth generation?” – so that our visitors were aware that this baking tradition had been passed down for generations.

 

He not only spontaneously replied with a friendly smile but even said my name (blush!) declaring that he was also familiar with me. [I was still wearing a mask, yet he recognized me! Well done!]

 

The moment we stepped out from the bakery, my sister and her family opened the irresistible snacks for a quick bite.

 

A range of hair designs offered by barber shop

On a slow walk back to the car – to deposit the painted hand-fans – we passed the corner Indian barber shop where a large poster displayed head-shots of a range of hair designs they offered.

 

While my grand-nephew was seriously considering getting his hair styled by this barber, his mother did not encourage it because his hair may not grow out before his school term started again. So it was then clearly a, “No.”

 

After leaving the hand-fans in the car, we headed down Bukit Timbalan to Jalan Ungku Puan to visit the Indian Heritage Centre located within the grounds of the Arulmigu Raja Mariamman Devasthanam Hindu Temple.

 

Flowers and flower garlands along the route

While waiting for the lights to change at the road crossing, I had the privilege to share about why the word, Raja was included in the name of the Hindu temple, just as how the word, Johor, was in the name of the Johor Old Temple for the Chinese community here.

 

Inside the Heritage Centre, my family learnt more about the important Milestones of Life and some of the traditional trades in the Indian community.

 

Then I observed that my grand-niece, Thea, was quietly absorbed with watching a video that showcased the utensils and methods used in a traditional Indian kitchen to make roti…

 

Two cheeky faces in the Indian Heritage Centre

As we appreciated more about the culture and traditions in another community, we also had fun posing for photos to capture special mementoes of our time together exploring the rich heritage in Johor Bahru.

 

On our way out of the Heritage Centre, the general consensus was “lunch” so we agreed on what they wished to eat and headed off to enjoy a light lunch together.

 

With our stomachs comfortably filled, I took the family on a drive to Iskandar Puteri to see the majestic buildings at Kota Iskandar, the city’s state administrative center.

 

Thea's attention was riveted to this video

While my sister and her children saw many changes in the city since their previous visits here, I reminded them that there will be even more changes in the coming years as the RTS is scheduled to be completed in 2026.

 

As for me, I am already looking forward to their next time in Johor for another opportunity to show them more from the wealth of heritage here as well as the many changes anticipated in the next few years.

Welcome back to Johor again!

Family fun at Legoland Malaysia

 

Ever since my nephew, Jamie, had his own LEGO experience as a child on a family holiday day at Legoland Denmark, he had fallen in love with LEGO.

 

My sister, Pearly, with her grandkids,
Jamieson [Centre] and Thea [Right]

Years later when he became a father, he shared his love for LEGO with his son, Jamieson, and took advantage of the Free entry for kids under age two to make frequent visits to Legoland Windsor, a destination close to where they live.

 

So when they were planning the itinerary for their family’s epic holiday in Asia, it was only natural to factor in a hotel stay at Legoland Hotel along with visits to Legoland Malaysia Resort in Johor.

 

Yes, I said, visits because the plan was to enjoy multiple entries to the theme park and waterpark while they were in Johor. And this was exactly what they did.

 

Facade of Legoland Hotel Malaysia
at Iskandar Puteri, Johor

The family’s itinerary in Johor kicked off with the Legoland Hotel stay along with fun in the theme park. And when they returned to Johor from Kuala Lumpur, they managed to fit in several visits to the waterpark and theme park, with one more visit on the very last day of their time with us here.

 

When the family checked online to make hotel reservations and to buy park tickets, they considered the various room configurations and theme options and saw that they were all very interesting choices for the youngsters and the young-at-heart.

 

At the hotel lobby, Jamieson with his
Aunty Mel and great-grandmother

So for a truly fun family experience, they decided to book the family room in the Kingdom theme that should comfortably accommodate six guests.

 

I had the privilege to work with Legoland Malaysia Resort since its ground-breaking and opening to the public in 2012, so am rather familiar with the resort and hotel.

 

It was only in December 2015 that I (finally!) had the pleasure to share with my elderly parents, the Legoland theme park experience documented in, Family Time at Legoland Malaysia.

 

Then the year 2019 closed with a Celebration of Life staycation at the Legoland Hotel as a treat for my friend Wei Leng, who battled cancer and had completed her course of treatment.

 

Jamieson starting on another 
building project...

After the global pandemic, when the Legoland theme park reopened in April 2022, I was among media guests at their Build the Thrills festival.

 

At this event, I happened to win the Lucky Draw top prize of a LEGO version of the DeLorean DMC-12, the car/time machine and one of the best movie cars of all time, featured in the Back to the Future movie.

 

Even at that euphoric winning moment, my first thought was that this LEGO prize should go to my one and only grand-nephew, Jamieson. He lives in the UK but I managed to get this gift safely delivered to him for his birthday in October 2022.

 

Now in August 2024, when Jamieson was in Legoland Malaysia as part of the itinerary in his first Asian Adventure, I reminded my sister that her grandkids can have fun with LEGO at every stage of their staycation, from the hotel lobby to the hotel room and of course, in the parks.

 

In the master bedroom of the 
Kingdom room, Legoland Hotel

In fact, young room guests may enjoy playing a simple puzzle to get the combination to unlock a safe in their room to reach the prizes within.

 

On that day when my sister and her family checked into the hotel, we arranged to bring our mother, their great-grandmother, to drop by in the evening for a cup of tea with them.

 

So when we arrived at the hotel lobby, young Jamieson and his Aunty Mel were there to welcome us into the hotel.

 

Jamieson had certainly made himself at home in the lobby, having created some interesting items with LEGO bricks there and was eager to show them to us.

 

Jamieson [Left] and Thea [Right] building their
LEGO creations while Jamie looked on

He led us around the lobby to the castle structure where he had proudly displayed his LEGO creations and presented his favourite – a heart of Yellow within a Red square – to his great-grandmother and posed with it for a photo with her and Aunty Mel.

 

He had already discovered the play area in front of the Bricks Restaurant and was happy to start on another building project there but we hurried him away because the rest of the family was waiting for us in the room to have a cup of tea.

 

When we stepped into the hotel elevator for a brief ride up to the room, we could not help but joined Jamieson to dance to the rhythm of the music, “Everything is awesome!” as the disco lights flashed in time.

 

Thea assembled her LEGO creation

In their room, Jamieson and his sister, Thea, started on the puzzle project while we sat down in the lounge area with the window curtains drawn back to enjoy a panoramic view of the theme park.

 

It did not take long for the kids to solve the puzzle and unlocked the safe to discover the prizes inside.

 

Delighted with their LEGO prizes, the two kids wasted no time in starting on assembling the LEGO bricks to have fun with their very own little creations.

 

After enjoying tea (and coffee!) together, we left with the great-grandmother to let the family continue with their evening activities and buffet dinner booked at Bricks Restaurant.

 

Jamieson and Thea working on their
after-dinner building project

Later that night, my nephew shared a photo with me that showed Jamieson and Thea working hard at a building project outside the Bricks Restaurant. He captioned it, “An after-dinner project, he (his son) hired two contractors for a lot of it…”

 

“Two contractors?” I asked, and Jamie replied: “Someone else’s kids, two brothers!”

 

It was simply heartwarming to see our kids happily playing with LEGO with others who share a passion for LEGO in Legoland Hotel Malaysia.

 

Visit Legoland Malaysia Resort official website or social media pages, Facebook and Instagram for details and tickets.