KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 — A group of Orang Asli students from Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Permatang Keledang in Pahang has won gold in the Primary School Robotics Innovation category (ages 10 to 13) at the 26th International Robot Olympiad held in Busan, South Korea.

The Pekan district education office shared the news on its Facebook page yesterday, praising the students’ achievement as a testament to the capabilities of Malaysian students and the dedication of teachers in advancing science and technology skills.

“We are very proud of their achievement which has uplifted the names of our country and the school at the international level.

“May this success be an inspiration to more students and teachers to strive towards innovation and work towards achieving excellence in more sectors,” the office said in the post.

According to a report by Berita Harian, the winning team comprised Matthew Jambai Karong and Hafizie Azwanizi, both in Standard Six, and Fizrey Rovince Ronachai, a Standard Five pupil.

SK Permatang Keledang headmaster Ahmad Zaki Zainudin told the Malay daily that this demonstrates the potential of Orang Asli students on the international stage.

“This success proves that the skills and capabilities of Orang Asli students at SK Permatang Keledang are on par with other students.

“They were supported by highly committed teachers who helped to sharpen their skills in science and technology,” he said, adding that the group had also competed in similar events in China and South Korea previously.

Ahmad Zaki explained that the competition required participants to work in teams to create and present robotics solutions, tackling problems through innovation and collaboration.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that the Sultan of Pahang, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, and Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, have also extended their congratulations to the students for their outstanding accomplishment.