Young Sarawakians engineering AI for good

Team ScamBusters, comprising Muhammad Labeeb Aryan, Deborah Wong En Xuan and Isabelle Hii Yi Shin from SMK Lutong, earned top honours at the Shell NXplorers 2026 Sarawak Challenge with their privacy-focused Android app which is designed as an “investigator in your pocket” to protect users from digital fraud.

IT takes only a fraudulent text message to trigger a few heart-pounding seconds of panic. As fear overpowers reason, a single hasty tap is all it takes to wipe out a lifetime's savings.

It was precisely to intervene in that critical moment that secondary students Muhammad Labeeb Aryan, Deborah Wong En Xuan and Isabelle Hii Yi Shin from SMK Lutong entered the Shell NXplorers Malaysia competition with a mission to build a digital safety net.

“We came up with ScamShield AI after seeing how common scams had become in Malaysia and how easily a convincing message could make someone panic,” the team recalls.

Competing as team ScamBusters, the trio targeted the psychological trap inside suspicious messages, asking: “What if a phone could analyse the actual message and warn the user before they react?”

The result is ScamShield AI, an Android app that acts as an “investigator in your pocket”.

Purpose-built for local realities, it scrutinises text messages, WhatsApp chats, links, QR codes and downloadable APK files.

Rather than issuing cryptic technical alerts, it delivers a clear risk score alongside plain-language explanations in Bahasa Melayu and English.

Most of the analysis processes directly on the smartphone, ensuring the app works offline while keeping personal messages strictly private.

Transforming their concept into a functioning tool brought steep technical challenges, including fixing background protection service crashes on certain mobile operating systems.

“That experience taught us that innovation is about repeatedly testing, failing, learning and improving together,” the team shares.

SMK Bandar Bintulu's team Theory, comprising of Ephraim Wong Kung Xin, Chloe Wong Shi Yi and Nathanael Lim Yee Ning , impressed the judges with ElderCare AI, an automated medication recognition, sorting, reminder and health monitoring companion.

Each student brought a distinct strength. Muhammad Labeeb engineered compressed artificial intelligence (AI) models to run on budget devices, noting, “I learnt to break large problems into smaller ones.”

En Xuan led data research, explaining, “Good AI starts with responsible data and behind every data point there may be a real person who was targeted.”

Yi Shin championed user experience, adding, “Good design can make complicated technology feel simple, calm and useful.”

Their dedication earned them the Sarawak State Championship in the Shell NXplorers Malaysia competition and an invitation for Muhammad Labeeb to present ScamShield AI to CyberSecurity Malaysia.

Proud of this achievement, the innovative student emphasises: “My hope is that technology like this can give someone a warning at exactly the right moment, before fear or urgency causes them to lose their savings.”

Bridging tech and eldercare

While ScamShield AI guards against digital deception, another team of Sarawakian innovators turned their attention to protecting the physical well-being of the elderly.

For state runners-up Ephraim Wong Kung Xin, Chloe Wong Shi Yi and Nathanael Lim Yee Ning from SMK Bandar Bintulu's team Theory, the spark for their project hit remarkably close to family life.

Watching elderly family members struggle with daily multi-medication routines highlighted a pervasive social issue in an ageing society.

Inspired by a conversation with 75-year-old retiree Ho Chee Ping, who shared how confusing daily prescriptions could be, the team set out to restore safety and independence to senior care.

They came up with ElderCare AI, an automated medication recognition, sorting, reminder and health monitoring companion.

The device uses an ESP32-CAM and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to read medicine labels and sort pills into designated compartments using servo motors.

At scheduled times, the correct compartment opens alongside light and sound prompts. If a dose remains untaken after 10 minutes, the app sends real-time alerts via Blynk and Telegram to caregivers.

Winning teams from SMK Lutong (Sarawak champions), SMK Bandar Bintulu (Runner-up), and SMK Baru Bintulu (Most innovative) celebrate alongside teachers and Shell Malaysia executives following the Shell NXplorers 2026 Sarawak Challenge finale at One Shell Square Miri.

The system also incorporates a MAX30102 sensor to monitor heart rate and blood oxygen levels, notifying family members if vital signs dip unexpectedly.

Engineering the prototype required significant adaptability. When initial attempts at image classification proved inconsistent, the students pivoted to OCR text recognition to boost accuracy.

Team leader Kung Xin says: “Writing code is not just about making a system function; it is about creating solutions that can improve lives. Through repeated testing, debugging and problem-solving, I learned to treat failures as opportunities for improvement.”

Each student found personal growth in overcoming these hurdles. Shi Yi focused on community outreach, noting, “We need to listen to the community we are trying to help so that we can solve the root problem.”

Meanwhile, Yee Ning physically built the prototype housing, sharing, “Sometimes we have to try, fail and redesign before getting the result we want. Perseverance is key.”

The team reiterates that ElderCare AI, ultimately, offers peace of mind to families while empowering seniors to age with dignity. Driven by their success, all three teammates aspire to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.

Kung Xin advises other young changemakers, “Great innovations are built through collaboration and persistence. You just need the courage to take the first step.”

Nurturing changemakers

The inspiring journeys of ScamBusters and team Theory represent the tip of an innovative iceberg cultivated by the Shell NXplorers Malaysia programme.

Held at One Shell Square Miri (OSSM), the 2026 Sarawak Challenge brought together 183 students from eight secondary schools across the state, including SMK Lutong, SMK Bandar Bintulu, SMK Baru Bintulu, SMK Bintulu, SMK Bau, SMK Pujut, SM Sains Miri and SMK Taman Tunku.

Supported by the Education Ministry, the initiative engaged over 600 students from 29 schools across Malaysia, reaching an additional 1,000 peers through student-led knowledge sharing.

Both top teams will now carry Sarawak’s banner at the national Shell NXplorers Malaysia Challenge finale.

At its core, Shell NXplorers is a global educational initiative designed to empower secondary students to address complex food, water and energy challenges through systems thinking.

By introducing structured toolkits, such as the Perspective Circle, Connecting Circle and Feasibility Funnel, the curriculum helps students navigate interconnected social issues, evaluate real-world constraints and design scalable, human-centred technologies.

Highlighting the importance of youth innovation, Shell Malaysia Upstream’s Sarawak Central Luconia general manager Choong Yen Li says: “The challenges facing our world are increasingly complex, requiring a new generation of thinkers, creators and problem-solvers. At Shell, we believe the breakthroughs of tomorrow will come from the curious minds sitting in our classrooms today.

“By exposing students to engineering, digital technologies and automation, we hope to ignite a passion for problem-solving and equip them with the confidence, skills and opportunities to become the innovators and leaders of the future.”

The Sarawak Challenge also recognised other creative solutions, presenting the Most Innovative Award to team Nerd Inc from SMK Baru Bintulu for Calm Meadow, a confidential digital wellbeing platform designed to support student mental health.

Evaluated by a panel featuring Choong, Miri Education Department’s Dr Ling Mei Teng and Curtin University Malaysia’s Prof Dr Raymond Chiong Choo Wee, the event demonstrated how practical STEM toolkits can transform everyday empathy into real-world impact.

To learn more about Shell NXplorers Malaysia, click here .

Thank you for your report!

来自 SMK Lutong 的 Muhammad Labeeb Aryan、Deborah Wong En Xuan 和 Isabelle Hii Yi Shin 组成的 ScamBusters 团队，凭借其注重隐私的 Android 应用程序，在 Shell NXplorers 2026 Sarawak Challenge 中荣获最高荣誉。该应用程序被设计成“口袋里的调查员”，旨在保护用户免受数字欺诈的侵害。

一条诈骗短信就能引发几秒钟令人心跳加速的恐慌。当恐惧战胜理智时，只需匆忙点击一下，毕生积蓄就可能化为乌有。

正是为了在这个关键时刻进行干预，来自 SMK Lutong 的中学生 Muhammad Labeeb Aryan、Deborah Wong En Xuan 和 Isabelle Hii Yi Shin 参加了 Shell NXplorers Malaysia 竞赛，他们的使命是建立一个数字安全网。

“我们看到诈骗在马来西亚变得多么普遍，一条看似可信的信息很容易让人恐慌，于是便开发了 ScamShield AI，”该团队回忆道。

这三人以“诈骗克星”团队的名义参赛，他们瞄准了可疑信息中的心理陷阱，并提出了这样的问题：“如果手机能够分析实际信息并在用户做出反应之前发出警告，那会怎样？”

最终成果是 ScamShield AI，这是一款安卓应用程序，可以充当“口袋里的调查员”。

该软件专为本地实际情况而设计，可审查短信、WhatsApp聊天记录、链接、二维码和可下载的APK文件。

它不会发布晦涩难懂的技术警报，而是提供清晰的风险评分，并用马来语和英语进行通俗易懂的解释。

大部分分析过程直接在智能手机上进行，确保应用程序离线运行，同时严格保护个人信息的私密性。

将他们的概念转化为一个可用的工具带来了巨大的技术挑战，包括修复某些移动操作系统上的后台保护服务崩溃问题。

“那次经历教会了我们，创新就是不断地测试、失败、学习和共同改进，”团队分享道。

SMK Bandar Bintulu 的 Theory 团队由 Ephraim Wong Kung Xin、Chloe Wong Shi Yi 和 Nathanael Lim Yee Ning 组成，他们开发的 ElderCare AI 是一款自动化的药物识别、分类、提醒和健康监测助手，给评委们留下了深刻的印象。

每个学生都各有所长。穆罕默德·拉比布设计了可在低端设备上运行的压缩人工智能（AI）模型，他指出：“我学会了将大问题分解成小问题。”

恩轩负责数据研究，他解释说：“好的人工智能始于负责任的数据，每个数据点背后都可能有一个被针对的真实人物。”

Yi Shin 倡导用户体验，并补充道：“好的设计可以让复杂的技术感觉简单、平静和有用。”

他们的努力使他们赢得了马来西亚壳牌NXplorers大赛砂拉越州冠军，并邀请Muhammad Labeeb向马来西亚网络安全协会展示ScamShield AI。

这位富有创新精神的学生为自己的成就感到自豪，并强调：“我希望这样的技术能够在恰当的时机向人们发出警告，避免恐惧或紧急情况导致他们损失积蓄。”

连接科技与老年护理

ScamShield AI 致力于防范数字欺诈，而另一支砂拉越创新团队则将注意力转向保护老年人的身体健康。

对于来自SMK Bandar Bintulu的Theory团队的州亚军Ephraim Wong Kung Xin、Chloe Wong Shi Yi和Nathanael Lim Yee Ning来说，他们的项目灵感与家庭生活有着惊人的相似之处。

看着年迈的家庭成员每天艰难地服用多种药物，凸显了老龄化社会中一个普遍存在的社会问题。

受与 75 岁退休人士何志平的一次谈话启发，何志平分享了每日处方药可能带来的困惑，团队决心恢复老年护理的安全性和独立性。

他们开发了 ElderCare AI，这是一款可自动识别、分类、提醒和监测药物的助手。

该设备采用 ESP32-CAM 和光学字符识别 (OCR) 技术读取药品标签，并使用伺服电机将药片分拣到指定的隔间中。

在预定时间，正确的药盒会打开，同时伴有灯光和声音提示。如果10分钟后仍未服用，应用程序会通过Blynk和Telegram向护理人员发送实时提醒。

来自路东国中（砂拉越冠军）、民都鲁国中（亚军）和巴鲁民都鲁国中（最具创新力）的获奖队伍在美里 One Shell Square 举行的 Shell NXplorers 2026 砂拉越挑战赛决赛后，与老师和马来西亚壳牌公司高管一起庆祝。

该系统还集成了一个 MAX30102 传感器，用于监测心率和血氧水平，如果生命体征意外下降，则会通知家人。

原型机的设计需要极强的适应能力。当最初的图像分类尝试结果不稳定时，学生们转而采用OCR文本识别技术来提高准确率。

团队负责人龚欣说：“编写代码不仅仅是让系统运行起来，更是要创造能够改善人们生活的解决方案。通过反复的测试、调试和解决问题，我学会了把失败视为改进的机会。”

每个学生在克服这些困难的过程中都获得了个人成长。石毅专注于社区服务，他指出：“我们需要倾听我们试图帮助的社区的声音，这样我们才能解决根本问题。”

与此同时，余宁亲手搭建了原型房屋，并分享道：“有时候，我们必须尝试、失败、重新设计，才能得到想要的结果。坚持不懈是关键。”

团队重申，ElderCare AI 的最终目标是让家庭安心，同时帮助老年人有尊严地安享晚年。受此成功的鼓舞，三位团队成员都渴望投身科学、技术、工程和数学 (STEM) 领域。

孔欣建议其他年轻的变革者：“伟大的创新源于合作和坚持。你只需要鼓起勇气迈出第一步。”

培养变革者

ScamBusters 和 Theory 团队的励志故事只是 Shell NXplorers 马来西亚计划所培育的创新冰山一角。

2026年砂拉越挑战赛在美里One Shell Square (OSSM)举行，吸引了来自全州八所中学的183名学生，包括路东国中、民都鲁国中、民都鲁国中、民都鲁国中、巴乌国中、普裕国中、美里国中和东姑花园国中。

在教育部的支持下，该计划吸引了马来西亚 29 所学校的 600 多名学生参与，并通过学生主导的知识分享，惠及了另外 1000 名同龄人。

两支顶尖队伍将代表砂拉越参加全国壳牌NXplorers马来西亚挑战赛总决赛。

Shell NXplorers 的核心是一项全球教育计划，旨在通过系统思维赋能中学生，使其能够应对复杂的食品、水和能源挑战。

通过引入结构化的工具包，例如视角圈、连接圈和可行性漏斗，该课程帮助学生应对相互关联的社会问题，评估现实世界的限制，并设计可扩展的、以人为本的技术。

壳牌马来西亚上游业务砂拉越中央卢科尼亚总经理钟彦利强调了青年创新的重要性，他表示：“我们世界面临的挑战日益复杂，需要新一代的思考者、创造者和问题解决者。在壳牌，我们相信未来的突破将来自今天坐在教室里的那些充满好奇心的头脑。”

“通过让学生接触工程、数字技术和自动化，我们希望激发他们解决问题的热情，并赋予他们信心、技能和机会，使他们成为未来的创新者和领导者。”

砂拉越挑战赛还表彰了其他创新解决方案，将最具创新奖颁给了来自民都鲁新中学的 Nerd Inc 团队，他们的项目是 Calm Meadow，这是一个旨在支持学生心理健康的保密数字健康平台。

本次活动由钟先生、美里教育局凌美婷博士和马来西亚科廷大学雷蒙德·钟楚伟教授组成的评审团进行评估，展示了实用的 STEM 工具包如何将日常同理心转化为现实世界的影响。

要了解更多关于壳牌马来西亚NXplorers项目的信息，请点击这里。

感谢您的报告！