SMK Chung Hua Miri team members (front) pose with other participating teams. Joe Azmi and Marrianee are at sixth and seventh right respectively.
MIRI: SMK Chung Hua Miri emerged champion in the Consumer Interactive Challenge for School Consumer Club (CIPKPS) 2019 North Zone here yesterday.
Twelve schools took part in the challenge where SMK Bintulu placed second while SMK Kidurong Bintulu, third.
CIKPKS is an annual interactive event or ‘explorace’ involving School Consumer Club members nationwide, and a strategic partnership programme with the Ministry of Education.
It is also aims at strengthening the implementation of consumerism programmes with a key focus on consumerism, prudent financial management, healthy nutrition and environmental preservation, and strengthening collaborative networking between school club communities throughout the country to create informed, intelligent and responsible consumers.
Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) Miri head Joe Azmi Jamil said the programme was also to educate, disseminate and increase awareness of consumerism among students through an integrated new approach, in addition to expanding their creativity, innovation and potential especially in terms of their role as consumers.
“This kind of exposure is done at the school level so that students know their rights as consumers, and I hope the school representing the North Zone to the state and subsequently the national-level competition will strive to be the best,” he said during the CIPKPS closing ceremony at the Bulatan Park here yesterday.
State KPDNHEP Consumerism Section head Marrianee Jemli explained that each student needs to go through five checkpoints where each checkpoint has its own challenges, with the students required to complete all checkpoints in two and a half hours.
“Each school is represented by four students and an escort teacher and this year, we received more participants than the previous year.
“We have implemented this programme with the approval of the Ministry of Education for nearly 10 years.
“The next CIPKPS will be held on March 14 for the Central Zone in Sarikei, while the Southern Zone on March 20 in Kuching,” she said, adding that the state-level competition is expected to be held this April but the venue has yet to be decided.
Contest winners received RM200, trophies and certificates of recognition while the runners-up (RM160, trophies and certificates) and third-placed school (RM120, trophies and certificates).
Other schools that took part were SMK Lopeng Tengah Miri, SMK Luak Miri, SMK Baru Miri, SMK Bandar Bintulu, SMK Kemena Bintulu, SMK Kubong Limbang, SMK Lawas , SMK Marudi and SMK Baru Bintulu.