'UTM Rocketry Team' Creates History By Reaching IREC 2025 Finals
JOHOR BAHRU, June 13 (Bernama) -- A group of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) students created history by launching their homemade rocket "RIMAU-1" in the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) 2025, currently taking place in Midland, Texas, in the United States.
UTM said in a statement that this achievement makes the university the first Malaysian team to advance to the final stages of this prestigious six-day competition, organised by the Tripoli Rocketry Association, which is ending tomorrow (June 14) thereby bringing honour to the country on the global stage.
According to the statement, the team known as the UTM Rocketry Team, led by mechanical engineering final-year student T K Arykummara together with teammates Brenden Huang Hong Quan, K Raahull, Izzat Idlan Amir Raslan and S N Shivee Prakkaash, who represent a combination of students from the mechanical engineering and electrical engineering faculties.
"Interestingly, the team also developed a rocket parachute system as a safety measure, in addition to using ammonium perchlorate as the main propulsion system to reach the target altitude of 3,000 metres (m) in Texas airspace.
"In addition, the cost of constructing RIMAU-1 is estimated at RM40,000, while the total cost including travel and logistics reaches RM200,000. (Moreover) this project also received support and financial assistance from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs (JTNCHEPA), UTM International (UTMI) as well as several other sources," said the statement.
Meanwhile, Arykummara in the same statement said the rocket named RIMAU-1, which is 2.8 m in height and weighs 28 kilogrammes, was built using fiberglass and carbon material, and is expected to reach a maximum height of up to 3,000 m in accordance with the height requirements set by the organisers.
He said the process to build the rocket was not just about assembling components but involved intensive research, repeated testing, and meticulous attention to every technical and safety aspect.
"The handmade rocket took a total of more than nine months to build and was the result of teamwork, consisting of 40 people from various technical disciplines. The project began early testing in January and was only seriously worked on starting in March, with an intensive two-month construction period.
"Therefore, this participation is not just a competition, but a symbol of our team's spirit of innovation, resilience, and cooperation bringing the Malaysian spirit to the international stage," said Arykummara.
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Harnessing the power of biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine, our scientists are urgently advancing new discoveries to solve some of the world's most significant health challenges: redefining diabetes care; treating obesity and curtailing its most devastating long-term effects; advancing the fight against Alzheimer's disease; providing solutions to some of the most debilitating immune system disorders; and transforming the most difficult-to-treat cancers into manageable diseases. With each step toward a healthier world, we're motivated by one thing: making life better for millions more people. That includes delivering innovative clinical trials that reflect the diversity of our world and working to ensure our medicines are accessible and affordable. To learn more, visit and or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. P-LLY The efficacy estimand represents the treatment effect had on all participants who adhered to the study drug (with possible dose interruptions) for 40 weeks without initiating additional antihyperglycemic medications (>14 days of use). American Diabetes Association. Standards of Care in Diabetes—2020 Abridged for Primary Care Providers. Clinical Diabetes 2020; 38(1):10–38. Percent of participants achieving A1C <5.7% across all doses was not controlled for Type 1 error. The treatment-regimen estimand represents the estimated average treatment effect regardless of treatment discontinuation or initiation of additional antihyperglycemic medications. Ma X, Liu R, Pratt EJ, Benson CT, Bhattachar SN, Sloop KW. Effect of Food Consumption on the Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Tolerability of Once-Daily Orally Administered Orforglipron (LY3502970), a Non-peptide GLP-1 Receptor Agonist. Diabetes Ther. 2024 Apr;15(4):819-832. Epub 2024 Feb 24. PMID: 38402332; PMCID: PMC10951152. T. Kawai, B. 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Among other things, there is no guarantee that planned or ongoing studies will be completed as planned, that future study results will be consistent with study results to date, that orforglipron will prove to be a safe and effective treatment for type 2 diabetes, that orforglipron will receive regulatory approval, or that Lilly will execute its strategy as expected. For further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from Lilly's expectations, see Lilly's Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Lilly undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this release. Trademarks and Trade Names All trademarks or trade names referred to in this press release are the property of the company, or, to the extent trademarks or trade names belonging to other companies are referenced in this press release, the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this press release are referred to without the ® and ™ symbols, but such references should not be construed as any indicator that the company or, to the extent applicable, their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, the company's or their rights thereto. We do not intend the use or display of other companies' trademarks and trade names to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies. Refer to: Brooke Frost; 317-432-9145 (Media) Michael Czapar; czapar_michael_c@ 317-617-0983 (Investors)
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MELAKA: A local education activist has become the first Malaysian elected as co-chair of the Global Young Academy (GYA), an international platform representing young scientists across the globe. Associate Professor Dr Sam Chan Siok Yee (pic), a registered pharmacist and academic at Universiti Sains Malaysia's School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, was elected during the GYA's annual general meeting held in Hyderabad, India, from June 10 to 13. The event was officiated by India's Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan. Chan will serve alongside returning co-chair, Dr Yensi Flores Bueso of University College Cork, Ireland. Her election followed a hybrid voting process involving over 70 academics from around the world. With her appointment, Malaysia assumes a greater role in shaping the organisation's strategic direction and championing scientific leadership from lower-middle-income countries. In an interview on Saturday (June 21), Chan described the appointment as a 'landmark achievement for Malaysian science and global leadership'. "My elected role marks a significant step forward for gender representation and regional inclusion in global scientific governance,' she said. Chan, 41, said that the position is not merely a personal milestone, but also a recognition of the growing impact of Southeast Asian scientists in the international research community. 'I am deeply honoured to serve as co-chair of the GYA and this role reflects the collective progress of our region's scientific contributions on the world stage,' she said. Founded in 2010, the GYA promotes international, interdisciplinary, and intergenerational dialogue to address pressing global challenges. The academy currently includes 22 Malaysian members who actively contribute to scientific progress. Chan has been involved with the GYA since 2021 and remains committed to strengthening support systems for young researchers worldwide. She also serves as vice-president and education specialist with the Melaka Action Group of Parents in Education (Magpie). According to The Hindu Newspaper (India) on June 16, the GYA's 2025 AGM was held under the theme 'Confluence of Visionaries: Empowering Science for Global Change.' The week-long programme featured sessions on Industry 5.0, human-machine interaction, nutrition and well-being, science-society interfaces and foresight planning. Delegates also contributed to shaping the organisation's future strategic priorities.
