KUALA LUMPUR: 12 June 2026 – SMK Pamol in Beluran, Sabah, has achieved outstanding success at the International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition (ITEX) 2026, winning four gold medals and a special Best Secondary School Award on 20 May.
All four of the school’s innovation projects secured gold medals at the prestigious competition, which brings together innovators, researchers and inventors from multiple countries.
The project P-COCA, supervised by Faridah Pickly, was also named winner of the Best Invention Award, Secondary School 2026, placing it among the best innovations in the secondary school category at the 37th edition of the exhibition.
Three other school innovations, ESL, D2F-TECHNO and SECRET SPONGE, each contributed gold medals to the contingent.
The achievement demonstrates that students and teachers from remote areas can produce high-quality innovations capable of competing internationally, proving that rural schools can also nurture talent in science, technology and invention.
The school described the result as the product of sustained commitment from the entire school community and solid support from various parties who believed in the students’ potential to excel in innovation.
Sabah’s Ministry of Youth and Sports was the main funding contributor, enabling the school team to take part in the competition.
The school management expressed its appreciation to the Sabah State Education Department, the district education office, the Parent-Teacher Association (PIBG), the school cooperative, parents, and all those who provided financial assistance, moral support and logistical help throughout the preparation and competition period.
The success was also driven by the efforts of team manager Siti Noraini Mislihan, along with a team of supervising teachers: Nor Azlina Kamarudin, Wan Manisah Wan Mohamad, Muhammad Faiz Hazwan A. Wahab, Ivette Lynn Jikim and Faridah Pickly.
The synergy between schools, communities and government agencies can produce a young generation that is creative, innovative and competitive at the international level, thereby raising Sabah’s profile in the field of innovation and technology.
