Photos Isaac Yang
KUALA LUMPUR, 18 August 2025: Three second-year Decision Science students from the School of Quantitative Sciences (SQS), Universiti Utara Malaysia, Ms. Eilliyah Fong Abdullah, Mr. Isaac Yang Hao Tung, and Mr. Cheong Jian Le proudly represented the university at the prestigious AI Code Fest 2025: Healthcare Reimagined, where they won the Best Student Team Award.
The trio, all from the Decision Science programme, teamed up with two peers from Quest International University and Taylor’s University to form Team Bukit Tinggi. Over an intense 36-hour buildathon, the team designed and prototyped a mobile-first application called CARe App. The app identifies the fastest hospital by combining travel and predicted wait times, conducts an AI-powered pre-consultation chat with patients, generates a doctor-ready summary, and enables seamless QR-based sharing at hospital reception. The project was guided by a clear vision namely to reduce waiting times and create smoother healthcare journeys, particularly for Malaysia’s growing elderly population.
Despite competing against 25 teams consisting largely of full-stack developers, industry professionals, and AI specialists, the UUM students distinguished themselves through creativity, problem-solving, and ability to translate complex challenges into a simple, yet impactful user experience. Their achievement reflects the calibre of SQS students and their readiness to innovate on national and regional stages.
Team Bukit Tinggi presented their solution before a distinguished panel of judges, which included Mr. Khai Lee, Managing Partner of 500 Global VC; Mr. Daren Tan, CEO of Alphv; Mr. Sam Majid, Head of the National AI Office (NAIO); Mr. Foong Chee Mun, the first Malaysian to list on the New York Stock Exchange; and Mr. Kamesh, CEO of The Hive. Their impressive performance not only secured the Best Student Team but also earned them the rare opportunity to showcase their project at the ASEAN AI Malaysia Summit 2025 (AAIMS25), where they presented to senior government leaders and digital policymakers.
Reflecting on the team’s success, leader Ms. Eilliyah Fong, shared, “Winning at AI Code Fest 2025 proves that students, too, can build solutions that matter. We are proud to carry the name of UUM and SQS onto a stage filled with professionals. More than anything, we hope our journey inspires others to just start — because once you take that first step, you will be surprised at how far you can go.”
The victory at AI Code Fest 2025 not only celebrates the hard work and ingenuity of Ms. Eilliyah, Mr. Isaac, and Mr. Jian Le, but also underscores the growing strength of UUM’s School of Quantitative Sciences in nurturing young innovators ready to take on real-world challenges. Their success demonstrates that Malaysian students are not just future talent, but also present-day builders shaping the nation’s journey toward becoming an AI Nation by 2030. – Cheong Jian Le
