Bugcrusher Junior Coding Hackathon 2024: Record-Breaking Year!

Introduction

This year, the Bugcrusher Junior Coding Hackathon has returned with greater scale and enthusiasm. Breaking all previous records, we proudly hosted 1288 participants, comprised of 966 students and 322 teachers. This overwhelming response is a testament to the growing popularity and impact of the Bugcrusher competition, which continues to attract more participants year after year. Not only that, this year is even more special as it marks the fifth year anniversary of the Bugcrusher competition since its inception in 2020.

As we already know, Bugcrusher is a unique junior hackathon dedicated to enhancing critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration skills among young leaders. It aims to develop coding proficiency among children and teachers, empowering them to become future innovators. Bugcrusher also seeks to strengthen problem-solving skills in students and teachers through bug-solving challenges and teamwork. Ultimately, the overarching goal of the Bugcrusher Hackathon is to nurture the next generation of problem-solvers, not only in Sarawak but across Malaysia. We are happy to provide a platform for students to be involved and exposed to coding competitions while still in school.

Bugcrusher 2024

This year’s Bugcrusher was commemorated in April and just ended last week. One of the new things in this year’s Bugcrusher is the introduction of SDG 7, which encourages participants to think of ways to promote clean energy. Not to mention, we also provide the winners custom-made medals for this year. 

After going through the elimination stage and semi-final, only 12 teams managed to move to the final stage. This year’s finalists come from Kelantan, Penang, Selangor, and Sarawak. The final competition was held at SMK Chung Hua last Thursday (16 June 2024). On the final day, the finalists competed for 3 intense hours to solve the bugs, enhance their code, and present their solutions to the judges. 

After the competition ended, the finalists participated in the Cyber Guard Program for the remainder of the day. Through the program, the students learned about cyber security and ways to be safe from hackers and scammers in the digital world. The combination of the coding competition and the Cyber Guard training provides the finalists with a well-rounded experience, equipping them with both technical and security-focused skills to become the next generation of tech-savvy leaders.

The Closing and Award Ceremony

That evening, we had the Closing and Awards Ceremony for Bugcrusher Junior Coding Hackathon 2024 at the Grand Palace Hotel in Miri. The ceremony was graced by Councilor Leslie Lau, who represented Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industries and Performing Arts, Datuk Sebastian Ting. The closing event celebrated the achievements of all the participants, recognizing their hard work, creativity, and technical prowess demonstrated throughout the competition. Awards were presented to the top-performing teams, solidifying Bugcrusher’s role in nurturing the next generation of coding talent in Malaysia.

During the ceremony, we also enjoyed the food presented by the hotel. We also had a fun moment with the finalists by having a costume competition between the teams in between ceremonies. Toward the end of the day, the participants socialized and networked with each other by exchanging gifts they had prepared beforehand. Finally, the event ended successfully and was completed by taking group photos to commemorate the memory of BugCrusher 2024.

The Award list for Bugcrusher Junior Coding Hackathon 2024

Junior Category

Senior Category

The Partners for Bugcrusher 2024

Undoubtedly, the continued success and impact of the Bugcrusher Junior Coding Hackathon have been made possible through the steadfast support and collaboration of various partners. Bugcrusher is co-organized by the Realfun Learning Centre and Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) and has benefited from the involvement of collaborators such as Champs, GenOneOne, Techdome Penang, and SOL Digital. We also had sponsors like Hach Tech Sdn Bhd, TEGAS, Sarawak Oil Palm Foundation, and the Ministry of Education Malaysia for this year. Additionally, this year’s Bugcrusher has also enjoyed the generous support of its venue hosts, including TEGAS, Pustaka Negeri Sarawak, SMK Chung Hua Miri, and the Sarawak Multimedia Authority.

This extensive network of co-organizers, collaborators, sponsors, and venue hosts has been instrumental in enabling Bugcrusher to continue making a meaningful impact on the students and young leaders. We would like to thank all the partners for making it possible for this competition to continue to evolve throughout the years.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Bugcrusher 2024 was a resounding success, showcasing the exceptional talent and potential of young coders in Malaysia. Not only did the event attract a record number of new participants, but it also welcomed back many returning competitors who have honed their skills through previous iterations of the competition. The judges for this year were particularly impressed by the marked improvement in the quality of work submitted by this year’s finalists, a testament to the participants’ dedication and growth. As Bugcrusher continues to evolve, it stands as a beacon of educational empowerment, inspiring youth to push the boundaries of innovation and lead Malaysia toward a brighter, more technologically advanced future. 

We hope to continue to be the best platform for young talents to partake in coding competitions for years to come. We also hope that all the participants who participated this year will continue to improve and challenge themselves to be better in the future. That’s all for this year’s Bugcrusher, see you all again in Bugcrusher 2025!