With their mock cheques and medals (from left to right): Teng Zheng, Mohammad Ezaly, Ang Wen Yee, Yong Qiao Rou and Leong Ka Yin, who was another participant in the competition.
TAR UMT’s excellence in tech skills continues to shine with the outstanding success of its students at the prestigious 14th WorldSkills ASEAN Competition, held in Manila, Philippines, from August 25 to 30, 2025. Representing Malaysia on the international stage, our competitors demonstrated world-class technical skills, securing a Gold Medal in Cyber Security and Silver medal in the Internet of Things (IoT) category.
Gold Medal Glory in Cyber Security
The nation's Gold Medal triumph in the fiercely competitive Cyber Security category was achieved by the team of TAR UMT student Wang Teng Zheng and UniKL MIIT student Mohammad Ezaly Iman Bin Ramli. The win contributed to Malaysia's impressive overall tally of 13 gold medals at the event, making Malaysia the overall Champion team of the regional competition.
Upon hearing the results, Teng Zheng admitted he was "honestly shocked" to win first place, although the team was confident, they would make it to the podium.
The rigorous competition required mastery across wide-ranging domains, including Enterprise Security, Red Team Operations (CTF), and Blue Team Operations (CTF). According to Teng Zheng, the most challenging part was competing for three days without internet access, relying entirely on experience and debugging skills.
He credits their success to extensive Capture-The-Flag (CTF) experience, which "allowed us to think from the challenge creator's perspective" when solving problems. The team also showcased remarkable composure, overcoming an unexpected issue in the first module by "staying calm and carefully analysing the errors".
Ts Lim Mei Shyan, the Country Expert appointed by Jabatan Pembangunan Kemahiran (JPK) to be the students’ trainer and mentor, shared: "Wang and Mohammad demonstrated strong teamwork and a great understanding of each other. Each had their own strengths, which complemented one another very well during the competition. I must also highlight the exceptional performance of my coach, Mr Wong Yik Han, a TAR UMT alumnus, who contributed immensely and inspired both competitors with his extensive knowledge and skills in cybersecurity and CTF. She also praised the team's resilience after one competitor, who was unwell on Day 2, recovered to "perform so well together with his team member" on Day 3.
Excellence in IoT
In the IoT category, Bachelor of Software Engineering (Hons) students Ang Wen Yee and Yong Qiao Rou faced huge challenges during the competition such as sudden change of competition rules and certain hardware components not working well. However, their resilience and resourcefulness led them to their Silver medal victory.
Wen Yee described the announcement of their medal as a moment of 'relief... joy... and disbelief'. The students faced six complex test projects over three days, each with a strict time limit of just three hours.
To manage the pressure, the team relied on precise collaboration:
"We divided the tasks where Qiao Rou focused on the hardware-software integration using Node-RED and the HMI panel, while I concentrated fully on the Python programming."
Qiao Rou emphasised that technical skill alone was not enough for success. “The single most important skill was rapid and effective troubleshooting," she stated. She stressed that victory came from knowing how to achieve ‘system integration,’ making the device, network, and cloud application ‘work together as one cohesive system’.
Assoc Prof Ts Dr Tew Yiqi, the Country Expert, noted that the training focused on a ‘holistic approach,’ including mental preparation provided by JPK, to ensure the students could handle the psychological demands of the competition.
A Reflection on Resilience and Discipline
The incredible achievements of the students stand as a testament to the quality of education and training provided at TAR UMT.
Reflecting on her journey, Qiao Rou offered a powerful takeaway: "My biggest personal takeaway was learning the true meaning of resilience and discipline". She added that the mindset of breaking down a complex problem without panicking ‘is something I'll carry with me throughout my entire career’.
