Top Teams Compete For Grand Prize At Petrosains Science Drama Competition 2019

Presenting a seven minute drama on stage to showcase a science concept based on the theme of ”Chemistry Makes Life Better”, top ten primary school teams battled it out on Saturday, 29 June 2019 for the top prize at the Petrosains Science Drama Competition 2019 Grand Finals. The competition was held at Auditorium Cempaka Sari in Putrajaya and was attended by friends, families and supporters of the participants. Also present were Fedora Zulkifli, Chief Executive Officer of Petrosains, and representatives from PETRONAS Research Sdn Bhd, the Ministry of Education and State Education Departments.

As PETRONAS’ corporate social responsibility arm in the pillar of education, Petrosains’ involvement in this competition is part of its contribution to the nation in support of the Government’s aspiration to develop a future generation of critical thinkers who are scientifically inclined.

The Petrosains Science Drama Competition is a drama competition aimed to promote and spark students’ interest towards STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) through acting. It is organised by Petrosains to support the nation’s education agenda in sparking the interest in science and promoting science through drama amongst the younger generation.  The mechanics of this competition is reflective of Petrosains’ learning approach where different techniques such as performing arts are used to spark interest, inspire passion and encourage creativity among students in the field of STEM.

The competition was first held in 2016 as the Malaysian Finals of the International Science Drama Competition. It was later renamed as the Petrosains Science Drama Competition in 2019. The competition is also supported by the Ministry of Education and Malaysia Airlines as the Official Airline, sponsoring the flight tickets for the winners’ trip to Beijing, China.

Participation for this competition is opened to all primary school students in Malaysia. Participants are required to form teams of up to 15 members and perform on stage a skit for not more than seven minutes which must combine scientific content and drama.  The competition theme this year was “Chemistry Makes Life Better” in conjunction with 2019 as the year of the periodic table of chemical elements.

According to Fedora Zulkifli, Chief Executive Officer of Petrosains, “The competition has helped the students to be more motivated and inspired towards STEM. We in Petrosains hope that by participating in this competition, it will allow the students to understand and appreciate STEM better while encouraging them to think creatively when presenting the science concepts in their drama performance. We also hope that the competition will help build the students confidence and ability to communicate effectively on stage in front of the public.”

Malaysia Airlines’ Group Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, Lau Yin May said, “We are delighted to be the official airline sponsor for this competition and contribute 20 flight tickets to Beijing, China for the winning team. It takes courage to perform on stage what more to represent the country at an international level. As the national airline of Malaysia, we proudly fly the nation’s flag around the world and this time, the students will be the flag bearer of the nation in Beijing. We wish them all the best in their journey to success and hope they enjoy our Malaysian Hospitality onboard the flight to and from Beijing.”

For the Grand Finals, participants were judged by a select panel of judges headed by Prof. Dr. Hatta Azad Khan, accomplished director and professor of the Creative Industry Management Programme, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Dr. Shahidah Mohd Shariff, Chief Executive Officer of PETRONAS Research Sdn Bhd as well as representatives of Petrosains and the Ministry of Education. The performances were scored based on scientific content, cast performance, creativity and overall presentation.

This year, a total of more than 43 entries were received from primary schools around the country. Ten best teams were shortlisted to compete in the Grand Finals. All finalists of this competition stand to win cash prizes of up to RM 5,000, Petrosains merchandise and an all expenses paid trip to compete in the International Science Drama Competition which will be held in Beijing, China on 25 July 2019. At the International Level, the winning team from Malaysia will compete against teams from Singapore, China, the Phillipines, Thailand, Brunei, India and Nigeria.

Updated information as of 1 July 2019

Results of the Petrosains Science Drama Competition 2019 Grand Finals

Grand Prize – First Place

’The Sweetly Dangerous Squad’, SK Taman Kepong, Kuala Lumpur

Second Place

’Guardians of Immunia’, SK Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur

Third Place

’The Drama Queens’, SK Saint Thomas, Kuantan, Pahang

ABOUT PETROSAINS:

Petrosains, The Discovery Centre, is an exciting and contemporary science discovery centre that features interactive exhibits and vibrant scientific programmes. To reach more people and spread its “Creating Wonder” essence in the nation, Petrosains has established many outreach offerings including mini science centres across the nation (Petrosains PlaySmarts), travelling exhibitions (Petrosains DinoTrek and PETRONAS StreetSmart), national level science competition (Petrosains Science Show Competition), community events (Petrosains Science Festival) and many others.  Petrosains also engages with its audiences through digital offerings such as the Petrosains website, learning blogs and social media platforms.

Petrosains was established by PETRONAS in 1999 as part of its corporate social responsibility initiative in the pillar of education to provide a rich and stimulating environment to enhance science literacy in the nation and ignite the passion for life-long knowledge attainment in people.  Petrosains is located in the PETRONAS Twin Towers at Level 4, Suria KLCC.

ABOUT MALAYSIA AIRLINES:

Malaysia Airlines is the national carrier of Malaysia, offering the best way to fly to, from and around Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines carries up to 40,000 guests daily on memorable journeys inspired by Malaysia’s diverse richness. Malaysia Airlines embodies the incredible diversity of Malaysia, capturing its rich traditions, cultures and cuisines via its inimitable Malaysian Hospitality across all customer touch points.

Since September 2015, the airline has been owned and operated by Malaysia Airlines Berhad. It is part of the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), a global aviation organisation that comprises of different aviation business portfolios aimed at serving Malaysian air travel needs. Via our alliance with oneworld®, Malaysia Airlines offers superior connectivity with seamless journeys to 1,000 destinations across 150 plus countries, and access to over 650 airport lounges worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.malaysiaairlines.com