KUCHING: The Sarawak X Singapore Friendship AI Design Hackathon 2025 held at Makeramai Makerspace, Plaza Merdeka here concluded on Saturday, marking a significant milestone in youth-driven innovation and international collaboration.
The event brought together 40 participants, including 30 local youths and 10 international innovators from Canada, the United States, Belarus, Taiwan, and Singapore. Throughout the competition, teams developed creative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions while forging cross-cultural friendships and professional networks.
The hackathon was spearheaded by the AI Gents of Change, led by Soh Wan Wei, CEO of the AI Visionary Society Singapore, and co-organised with Angkatan Zaman Mansang (AZAM) Sarawak, a long-standing strategic partner in youth empowerment.
Deputy Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu, in his speech, urged participants to continue refining their projects to benefit communities.
“This hackathon is more than just a competition. It demonstrates that AI does not replace human imagination but amplifies it.
“With such power comes responsibility – the responsibility to ensure AI is guided by ethics, fairness, and integrity,” he said.
Besides, he highlighted Sarawak’s commitment to providing platforms for youth excellence, ranging from E-sports and the upcoming Borneo Games to representation in ASEAN forums.
“Our youth are not the leaders of tomorrow; they are the leaders of today. This aligns closely with the aspirations of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development,” he added.
On top of that, Rentap also emphasised the importance of international exposure for youth, saying that collaborations with other countries and participation in global programmes provide them a lot more experience and to be mindful of the world.
“Let us celebrate not only the winners, but also those in the spirit of cooperation, innovation and friendship that this hackathon has created between Sarawak, Singapore and those of you who come from the rest of the world,” he said.
The one-day event concluded with a celebration of innovation, collaboration, and friendship, strengthening ties between Sarawak, Singapore and the wider global community.
