KUALA TERENGGANU: The 2025 Eastern Zone Jejak Inovasi Sosial (JIS) programme has successfully strengthened partnerships between Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia (YIM), local communities, state governments, and academic researchers, according to YIM chief executive officer Dr Sharmila Mohamed Salleh.
She stated that the initiative achieved its goal of fostering collaboration and gathering critical insights for future social innovation interventions. The programme includes four key components: the Malaysia Social Innovation Initiative, MyIS Komuniti and MyIS Akar Umbi, Innovation Catalyst Volunteers (iCATS), and the Youth Innovative Challenge (YIC).
“Through JIS, we gained in-depth understanding of social, economic, and environmental challenges in the eastern zone, particularly in Kuala Terengganu,“ Sharmila said. “One key focus was the struggles of the fishing community, which will be analysed before solutions are proposed by experts.”
She emphasised the importance of stakeholder feedback, noting that social innovation requires a deep grasp of community issues. The programme included engagement sessions where key concerns were identified for further assessment.
Kuala Terengganu MP Datuk Ahmad Amzad Mohamed @ Hashim attended the event, flagging off the YIM delegation vehicles for the Eastern Zone JIS. Meanwhile, the YIC competition at the Kuala Terengganu Science Centre saw three winners from local universities advancing to the inter-zone round, competing for the MyIS Perintis grant worth RM400,000.
Sharmila highlighted that the best innovator will receive an opportunity to study technology and innovation at a Swiss university. She also visited four innovation projects, including modular batik production and essential oil extraction, to assess challenges faced during development.
“Social innovation isn’t just about the final product but also the process,“ she added. “For instance, modular batik faces cost and durability issues, which we hope researchers can help resolve.” - Bernama
