Proton supports innovation-themed reality show
Aspiring Malaysians with ideas of inventions brewing in their heads now have a platform of turning their concept into reality. A collaboration between the Ministry of Science, Technology & Innovation (MOSTI), SIRIM and Proton has brought about a design & innovation-based reality TV series set to debut on TV3 by the end of September.
The programme, named Idea: Malaysian Inventors’ Challenge, will be hosted by Major Dr Faiz Khaled and Daphne Iking. A total of ten episodes will be produced, and they will be aired weekly on Saturday, 7:00pm, beginning 25 September 2010.
A small launching ceremony of the programme took place earlier today at TV3’s studio in Sri Pentas where Proton, represented by Managing Director Dato’ Hj Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, and SIRIM, represented by President and Chief Executive Officer Ir Hj Yahaya Ahamd, swapped documents for the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two parties.
Entry into the reality show is open to all Malaysians, with the exception of professionals whose line of work requires them to produce the related inventions and innovations. Interested participants should head to any one of four upcoming audition sessions, which will be head on a walk-in basis at the following venues on the following dates:
* Hotel MS Garden, Kuantan – 25 Sept 2010
* Hotel Grand Borneo, Kota Kinabalu – 2 Oct 2010
* SIRIM, Shah Alam – 9 Oct 2010
* Kuching – 16 Oct 2010
From each of these auditions, six entries will be shortlisted, making a final total of 24 entries vying for places in the semifinals. A point to note is that the organizers are interested in evaluating only the inventions that are being submitted and participants have the option of joining on an individual or group basis.
The 24 entries will eventually be reduced to 16 and split into two groups of eight in the semi-final stage. After the semi-finals, it will then be down to the last four contesting in the finals for a shot at the RM30,000 grand prize. Works of the contestants will be evaluated by an 11-man judging panel led by Prof Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli bin Abdul Razak, Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).
All 24 entries will receive financial support from MOSTI, who will be disbursing grants of RM2,000 each for the participants to work on their design. In addition, SIRIM will be lending a helping hand by providing guidance and expertise for the participants to produce a workable prototype of their designs.
