Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) continues to push digital literacy forward through CodeMasterMadani©. The initiative is a grassroots-to-global effort led by the Pusat Kanser Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (PKTAAB).
What started in rural primary schools across Northern Malaysia has now reached future science educators in Indonesia. All of this grows from one mission: making coding and digital creativity accessible to everyone.
In Malaysia alone, over 600 primary school students have taken part in the CodeMasterMadani© programme. The Madani Basic Coding Workshop for Young Programmers specifically engaged students aged 10–12.
The programme is supported by 120 teachers across Perak, Penang, Kedah, and Perlis. It gives rural and semi-rural kids a hands-on introduction to coding, robotics, and electronics.
Workshops took place in selected locations, including Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah Baling, SK Machang Bubok II, SK Wawasan Perak, SJKT Mak Mandin, and IPG Kampus Perlis.
Each venue hosted interactive sessions for the students. Local education leaders officiated the openings of the workshops.
They emphasized that early exposure to technology fosters creativity and builds future-ready skills.
Hands-On Learning with Real Tech
With strong backing from the Bahagian Jaringan Industri dan Masyarakat (BJIM), schools received over 130 Arduino Promega 2560 kits.
These kits provided young learners with real microcontrollers, sensors, and basic automation tools.
Students were able to experiment hands-on, turning abstract concepts into practical learning experiences.
Dr Ahmad Naqib Shuid, Programme Head of CodeMasterMadani©, emphasised that the programme isn’t just about learning coding syntax.
It focuses on building confidence and sparking imagination through hands-on, tangible technology.
Northern Zone Coding Championship: Young Innovators Step Up
From April to December 2025, students continued their learning through hybrid sessions leading up to the Madani Coding Championship & Creative Innovation Challenge (Northern Zone).
Teams designed Arduino-based solutions addressing real-world issues inspired by the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Winners:
- Champion: SKKS Semberani
- 1st Runner-up: Subaru Coding Monkeys (SK Sungai Baharu)
- 2nd Runner-up: Smart Dustbin (SK Lahar Yooi)
- Consolations: D’Force (SK Jalan Matang Buluh), Sin Hwa IT Boysz (SJK (C) Sin Hwa)
Cash prizes and certificates celebrated not just their innovations, but teamwork and technical skill.
Taking Malaysian Talent Global
Under the international initiative Science Without Borders: Collaborative Pathways in Research, Education and Community Impact, CodeMasterMadani© travelled abroad on 31 October 2025.
At Universitas Negeri Malang (UM), the programme introduced more than 100 undergraduate science-education students to practical, application-driven digital literacy.
The three-hour programme; led by PKTAAB USM with UM and USM lecturers plus ten USM students, blended coding lectures with hands-on microcontroller activities using the Arduino Promega 2560.
To support long-term impact, 10 Arduino units were officially handed over to the Fakulti Matematik dan Sains Semula Jadi (FMIPA), enabling continuous self-learning, experiments, and innovation projects.
“A Starting Point, Not an Endpoint”
Dr Ahmad Naqib described the effort as more than a coding workshop, but the foundation of future digital talent pipelines built intentionally and sustainably.
Feedback from participants echoed this: the practical, application-first approach made coding concepts clearer, more engaging and far less intimidating.
Digital Literacy for Every Generation
From young Malaysian students to future Indonesian educators, CodeMasterMadani© reflects USM’s ongoing commitment to inclusive education, international collaboration and sustainable digital-skills development.
By planting early curiosity and equipping future teachers with real technological competency, this initiative helps shape a digitally fluent generation ready for the future, aligned with national aspirations and global education priorities.