By: Nurul Fazliana Norman
KENINGAU: Sept 28, 2026 – More than 20 Form Five students with special needs from Keningau Vocational College (KV Keningau) won three gold, two silver and two bronze medals through seven projects at the Borneo Festival of Ideas (BFOI) 2026 in the Ranau and Kota Kinabalu zones.
The contingent comprised hearing-impaired students who use sign language and neurodivergent students, giving them an opportunity to showcase their creativity and vocational skills in an innovation competition.
A key member of the BFOI 2026 organising committee, Professor Dr Jidon @ Adrian Janaun, said the participation of the special needs students proved the festival provides an inclusive space for people from diverse backgrounds.
“We want to ensure this programme is inclusive and gives Sabahans from various backgrounds the space to showcase their creativity, entrepreneurial efforts and proposed solutions,” he said.
Of the seven projects, four were entered in the Borneo Solid Waste Management Innovation Challenge (BSWMIC), two in the Borneo Wisdom Innovation Competition (PIKB) and one in STEAMQuest Ignite. The projects were developed based on the students’ vocational fields, mainly furniture-making and garment sewing.
It was the first time the students took part in an in-person innovation competition open to the public. Despite it being a new experience, they had no difficulty presenting their projects to the panel of judges and interacting with visitors throughout the programme.
Keningau Vocational College director Lumang anak Lang said the college was committed to providing high-quality education, including giving special needs students under the Integrated Special Education Programme (PPKI) opportunities to take part in competitions and self-development activities.
“We greatly appreciate the dedication of the special education teachers who constantly guide, support and manage the students throughout their participation in this festival,” he said.
BFOI 2026 is organised by University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) through its Innovation and Commercialisation Management Centre (PPIP) in collaboration with the Institute for Development Studies (IDS). The festival is a continuation of the Sabah Festival of Ideas 2025, with the final round of BFOI 2026 scheduled to be held at UMS from Oct 13 to 14, 2026.
