Feeling the nip of the cold water on your thighs and the ticklish slithering of earthworms across your feet as you wade through the murky floodwaters in pitch darkness after a storm is certainly not anyone’s idea of an overseas trip.

But so it was for the 36 students on a Youth Expedition Project (YEP) trip found themselves right in the centre the worst flood to hit Cambodia in a decade. And, the service-learning programme turned into a mercy mission.

You can say they came back never the same again. The two Ngee Ann teams – from the schools of Business & Accountancy (BA) and Film & Media Studies (FMS) - who visited Cambodia in September as part of the YEP survived the flood, returning home irreversibly changed.

The YEP is a youth development programme under the National Youth Council that provides funding for and nurtures youths to contribute actively to the local and overseas community.

The BA team of 21 students and two lecturers was there to help build a bridge for the villagers and teach English at the Boys’ Brigade Learning Centre (BBLC).

Their virgin encounter with the flood came on the first day of their arrival when they had to walk some 500 m through a village to reach the BBLC.

For second-year Accounting student Nur Liyana Bte Abdul Jalil, 18, the flood was a harsh reality check. “We had heavy bags so we dragged and carried them all the way through in the dark with the torchlight.”

Luckily for the team, the flood subsided in the next two days and they were able to continue with their service programmes.

On the 10th day into their trip, the BA team headed to Siem Reap for Rest & Relaxation activities.

Although it started raining heavily on that day, they didn’t think much of it.

“When we got to the Angkor Wat and all that, the rain got heavier and heavier. We couldn’t even get into the Ta Prohm temple because it was awash with floodwater,” says Ms Koh Jo-Lin one of the lecturer-in-charge, in her 30s.

The unexpected flooding forced the BA team to halt their tour and camp out at a mall while waiting for the water to recede. In fact, for the Cambodians, the annual flood had come and gone weeks before the arrival of the two NP teams.

Meanwhile, the 17-member strong FMS team had arrived at the BBLC in the morning.

The bus ride there seemed to be a premonition of what was to come.

“I recall sitting in the bus and peering out of the window, shocked that even the streets outside our hotel were deep in muddy, ankle-deep water,” says Lydia Pang Wei Ting, an 18-yearold second-year Mass Communication student.

The peaceful day spent with Cambodian youths in songs and games took a dramatic turn at 10.30 pm that night. The river level rose to a level not seen since 10 years ago and the FMS team had to evacuate urgently to higher ground at the church 500 m away.

“We were in our pyjamas and were ready to sleep. When we walked out through the village, the water was already at our thigh
level,” says second-year Film, Sound & Video student Fatin Halina Binte Abdul Halim, 18,.

Despite the fear, the team remained in high spirits and spent a cold, cold night on the floor in the main hall of the church.

The next day, the team had to evacuate again to a hotel in the town as the floodwaters threatened to remain and food was not available.

The FMS team eventually went back to the BBLC three days later to clean up the debris.

The equipment there was part of the devastation brought about by the waters.

“We lost some of the electrical devices and delayed the start of the new term and intake of the new students,” says Kong Chak Mun, 34, who runs the BBLC and who is also a YMCA volunteer.

According to a Straits Times report on Oct 12, the flood battering Cambodia has since killed at least 207 and displaced 1.2 million people.

Despite all the drama, the students have gained precious life lessons from this encounter.

“It made me appreciate things a lot more,” second-year Accounting student Tay YunQing Tasmin, 18, says. “When I want to throw away something, I’ll think back to my time in Cambodia. Because out there, there are a lot of people who do not have what we have.”

Related posts:

1. Cambodia an increasingly popular destination for expeditions Together with two lecturers from the School of Life Sciences...
2. Hidden Gems of Cambodia By Foo Min Valerie Famous for its ancient holy destinations...
3. Seeing With A Heart HMS students extend a helping hand to show that life...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Famous for its ancient holy destinations and beautiful architecture, it is without a doubt that Cambodia has plenty to offer.

Michelle Lim, 20, a final-year Nursing student, decided to embark on this journey after encouragement from her family.

“One of the most memorable experiences I had was to help out in building roads. It shocked me to see children as young as seven, out in the scorching sun, helping the adults,” she says.

During the road building session, they played simple games with the Cambodian children.

She adds, “It surprised me that simple games like this were able to keep the [Cambodian] children entertained.”

Final-year Electrical Engineering student, Daryl Tan shares, “This guy told me that in Cambodia, people with knowledge would teach people with little knowledge. People with little knowledge would then teach people with no knowledge.”

“Upon hearing [that], I felt that some of us should be ashamed, because we are too self-centered,” the 19-year-old adds.

Oh Ming Hua, 19, a final-year Mechanical Engineering student, also met someone who made an impression on him.

“There was a guy who… told me that his dream was to become an English professor [and] find a Singaporean wife,” he shares.

He adds, “For someone I met for five minutes, to share his personal life with me makes it interesting.”

On his Cambodian friends, he says, “During that short period, I felt that [they] were closer to me than my friends in Singapore.”

Related posts:

1. Cambodia an increasingly popular destination for expeditions Together with two lecturers from the School of Life Sciences...
2. Swept Away by Cambodia A trip to alleviate living and social conditions among Cambodians...
3. “No Superheroes Please” “If you’re expecting to be a Superman and save the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Students from the School of Life Sciences & Chemical Technology (LSCT) visited Duolun County in Inner Mongolia, China from Jun 13 to 26 to plant trees and explore the environmental challenges.

The 26 students planted saplings to help out with the drastic desertification in Inner Mongolia, which affects Beijing and other parts of China, causing sandstorms that are hazardous to the health.

Lecturer-in-charge Mr Liew Boh Shan says the purpose of the trip was “to help our students in LSCT be aware of environmental issues in general, particularly the growing problem of desertification and sandstorms in North East Asia, especially in Northern China”.

The group had an initial target of planting 1000 trees, but they exceeded the number and achieved a staggering 1076 trees in just three days.

“This is a good testimony of how teamwork can overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges,” says Mr Liew, who felt the most important ingredient for their success was teamwork.

“[None] us ever planted a tree so it was a first time experience to plant a tree with [our] bare hands,” says Rebecca Wong, a first-year Pharmacy Science student.

The trip made an impact on the students, and every one brought back something to think about.

“One person can make a difference, no matter how small it is,” says Satishvaran, second-year Biomedical Laboratory Technology student.

“I learnt about the importance of the environment. Even though we only planted saplings, in 10 years the trees we planted would be strong enough to prevent sandstorms,” says Ernest Tan, a second-year Biomedical Science student.

Additionally, the culture in Inner Mongolia was an eyeopener for the students.

Rebecca recalls, “The people in Mongolia are very contented with whatever they have even if they are less fortunate but they are still happy and are motivated to live on. They lead simple lives which really touched my heart.”

Related posts:

1. Big hearts for little people Students from the School of Life Sciences & Chemical Technology...
2. Freshman lives the green dream in Puerto Rico forest Saving the world may be a pipe dream for many,...
3. Nurturing future talents NATURE’S CALL: The winning team from Chung Cheng High...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

For many people in Cambodia, disabilities signal a life of pain and difficulty, but this darkness was broken in the form of a Youth Expedition Programme (YEP) trip by 27 students from Psychology & Community Services (PCS) to the Baray District in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

As a whole, what struck the group were the needs of the people there. “We saw poverty, we saw simplicity, but we also saw great needs for people with disabilities,” says Ms Janice Liow, a 39-year-old lecturer-in-charge for the trip at the School of Humanities (HMS).

On the contrary, the disabled patients needed more than just physical help.

Ms Goh Li Li, 30, the HMS lecturer-in-charge of the YEP expedition, says, “Psycho-social needs were also present.” These needs were apparent in every moment of the trip.

Natalie Sophia Law, 17, a first-year PCS student, recalls one incident. They had visited two sisters, and when asked whether they had any happy moments in their lives, they replied that they could only remember the sad.

She recounts an incident when she heard of a family of three sharing just one egg. “When I went there, I saw that the poverty was very real, and it is things like these that makes me cherish what I have, and makes me ashamed of my wants when they don’t even have their basic needs,” she says.

For Ms Liow, one boy stood out. “One of the Cambodian youth volunteers we worked with suffered from a physical disability, so we invited him to talk about his life and the challenges he faced,” she says.

She recalls the boy’s schoolmates listening closely to every word of his story of pain between him and his family, and his hopes for a better future.

It was also not smooth sailing all the way when 19 in the YEP team came down with gastric flu, making them unable to do any work. She adds that some in the team burst into tears when they heard they might not be able to do their bit for the villagers.

In the end, though, it was a learning experience for all and very much so in learning about contingency planning in the event of mishaps during events.

Vincent Tan Wei Jun, 17, a first-year PCS student likened it to the act of carrying five umbrellas out whenever one leaves the house. “This way, even if one or two breaks, you will still have three more,” he says.

For him, the experience brought a different set of lessons to his life and how he will apply them in the future. “I learnt to see with my heart and not with my eyes,” he says. He added that other than the immediate needs of people, their emotional needs also commanded equal, if not more, attention.

Related posts:

1. Oh baby, it’s a wild world With overseas trips as hot as the latest iPhone, npTribune...
2. Cultural shake-up in Sichuan [caption id="attachment_2006" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The smiling faces of these Juyuan...
3. 1076 Trees in 3 Days Students with green hands venture into Inner Mongolia, China to...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Currently interning in the United States (US) at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY or “nifty”), Vanessa, a final-year Mass Communication student, describes her work as “a once in a lifetime experience”.

Everyday, Vanessa steps out of her rented apartment in the States, and is greeted by the beautiful scenery of Seattle.

She spends her working hours watching short films and designing posters.

“Some of these films are so professionally made that you can’t even tell they were produced by youths! If not for this film fest, you may not even witness how resourceful the youth of today are,” says Vanessa.

Even with its exciting location, Vanessa admitted that there were some things she faced in the US which she would have otherwise had taken for granted in Singapore. One of which was the issue of poverty and destitution.

“When I first arrived here, I was shocked at the number of homeless people roaming the streets and park benches.”

“The other day, a homeless woman came up to me begging for money. I took out my wallet and wanted to give her US$5 (S$6.16),” Vanessa says, “but my landlord got so worked up and pushed the woman away.”

“Apparently you aren’t supposed to give them money – they have food and shelter. They’re just going to use the money to get drugs.”

What Vanessa’s landlord meant was that there are many homes set up to house the destitute in Seattle, and that their social welfare is being taken care of.

In a supposed first-world country like America, the rich-poor divide seems to be even more glaringly obvious, judging from the number of homeless people roaming the streets.

During the weeks that she has been there, Vanessa shares that she has been harassed four times in the light of day.

Staying out late in Seattle is not an option as her neighbourhood is considered “shady”, with clubs and pubs dotting the vicinity.

For a quiet town, Seattle certainly paints a different story at night.

“In the day, I always wonder where are the people, and ‘where did everyone go to?’ But at night, the police sirens tell a different story.”

Related posts:

1. ADFP student tackles incest and homelessness Shen Fai (centre) briefs his cast and crew during...
2. Homegrown stories Michael Kam has outdone himself by winning the short film...
3. Boo Woos International Film Arena By Rachel Ooi Award-winning director and NP alumnus Boo Junfeng’s...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Going straight to university after graduation may seem like the most obvious route, but an increasing number of students are taking a year off before hitting the books again.

“After studying for about 13 years, my interest in continuing my studies is slowly dying, so I have decided to take a year off to recharge,” says Choi Seen Teng, 19, a final-year Biomedical Science student.

She is not alone.

Santhi Ponmudi, 21, a Biomedical Science graduate who spent two weeks travelling in Europe after graduation, says, “It was a welcomed break from doing research in my final year. I wanted to escape from my hectic lifestyle for awhile.”

In an article titled ‘Uni can wait, I’m taking a gap year’ published in The Straits Times on Jun 22, 2009, it was reported that every year, the National University of Singapore (NUS) grants some 250 students leave of absence for academic or personal reasons. A handful of students at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) also request for permission to take a gap year each year.

However, a gap year is not always all play and no work.

Ng Lye Ee, 21, a Mass Communication graduate, chose to volunteer with the International Humanity Foundation for a month, teaching English and organising drama classes at an orphanage in Jakarta.

“It was a solo trip to an unfamiliar place, not exactly knowing what I’d do. But I really wanted to give back to the world because I feel that I’ve been very fortunate,” she says.

For Santhi and Lye Ee, taking a gap year was not a spur of the moment decision. They had worked and saved up before embarking on their journeys.

“My parents are very supportive of my passion for volunteering, so they helped a little by topping up the difference in the money I needed,” says Lye Ee about the $700 she spent.

For some gappers (a term to describe students who take gap years), this time is absolutely essential for them to decide on their next course in life.

“It’s for me to mull over my options, to decide on what I want to do in the future,”  says Millison Chua, 21. The Pharmacy Science graduate has since taken on jobs in the sales and administration sectors.

Meanwhile, Atikah Chang, 21, an Early Childhood Education graduate, reaffirmed the passion she had in her field of study through her current job as a kindergarten teacher at PAP Community Foundation Choa Chu Kang.

That said, a common concern among polytechnic graduates when considering a gap year is how it will affect their chances of securing a place in university.

The admissions offices at NUS, NTU and the Singapore Management University (SMU) say that admissions are based solely on academic results. NUS allows polytechnic students to apply during their graduating year – even if they intend to enter the university at a later time.

Similarly, most other local and foreign universities keep confirmed placements for up to a year.

An exception is NTU, which does not allow for deferred enrolments except for confirmed male applicants entering National Service.

This has put some off taking a gap year.

“It may be a risky move as the universities’ cut-off score for grade point average might increase after a year,” says Seen Teng.
Still, she feels that taking a gap year to work will eventually pay off.

“The industry experiences I will gain would give me a competitive edge over other university applicants,” she says.

Related posts:

1. Full steam ahead for Naval Architecture degree course Highly-skilled maritime professionals will graduate in two years’ time from...
2. New course stresses R&D The School of Engineering (SoE) has collaborated with Nanyang Technological...
3. Poly grads land jobs faster after graduating A joint survey by the five polytechnics last year revealed...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Pedestrians can often be seen crossing the roads of Wuhan with impunity.

Despite having lived in Wuhan for five years, Dr Rumana Jafarey still watches the roads carefully when she crosses them.

The 27-year-old doctor who works at Renmin Hospital in Wuhan University, says, “Some drivers are very forceful and reckless. They do not care and just want to keep going.”

It does not matter that drivers in this capital city of Hubei Province in China are supposed to give way to pedestrians when they are at a pedestrian crossing.

Dr Jafarey adds, “Last year I saw a car accident happen right here in Wuhan University. The roads are supposed to be safe, but it still happened. Both drivers refused to give way and they crashed. One of them died and the other had to amputate his leg.”

Collisions like these are usually caused by drivers who violate traffic rules, such as not stopping when there is a red light at a traffic crossing, or giving way to pedestrians who are crossing the roads.

But it is not just the drivers who do not seem to care much for traffic safety. Pedestrians themselves do not seem to be bothered about it either.

“Pedestrians crossing the roads are also at fault. They believe that the drivers will stop for them, even if they cross when the traffic light is red,” says Mr Xu, 43, a taxi driver with over 18 years of experience.

A recent report by the Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China showed that the number of motor vehicles in China had increased by 12.6 per cent to 180 million since 2007.

In Wuhan alone, there are 86 million motor vehicles.

Mr Gandou Christlain Johnson, 19, puts it succinctly when he describes Wuhan as a “jungle”.

“During the rush hour period, you can see the cars coming at you from all directions,” says the African, who is a first-year student at Wuhan University.

One reason for the increase in cars is the relative ease of getting a driving licence and a car.

Says Mr Xu, “You just have to pay a few thousand dollars for a few months’ lessons before taking the driving test to get a driving licence. It is also very cheap to buy a car, which can cost as little as 100,000 yuan ($20,000).”

But it is not all bad news, as the Chinese government has been taking action to rectify the issue.

Since 2004, traffic safety campaigns have been launched to educate children and motorists about pedestrian safety.

This has led to an annual decrease of 27 per cent in terms of road fatalities and casualties, to the current death rate of about 166 deaths per day.

However, despite these preventive measures being taken, Dr Jafarey is not going to take take any chances while crossing the roads in Wuhan.

“Even though the road situation here is not so bad now, I am still going to be cautious. I want to protect my life.”

Related posts:

1. A driving madness When a teenager celebrates his or her 18th birthday,...
2. Now entering school zone By Crystal Huang, Dawn Loo, Fiona Lim & Germaine Ann...
3. Living life on the edge [caption id="attachment_2017" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Roadside stalls like the one pictured...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Roadside stalls like the one pictured above are a common sight throughout China.

In a narrow sidewalk at Dong Hu Road in Wuhan, a little make-shift fruit stall is propped against a single-windowed wall.

Look into it and you will see the home of Mr Huang Xiaohua and his wife, both 54, which also doubles up as a fruit stall - the rice bowl that covers their daily expenses and rent for their one-room apartment.

This scenario is not unusual among the  many hawkers in China.

In search of a better life, Mr Wang Li, 25, moved from a village in Funan to Wuhan after graduating from high school to run his own food stall.

“I thought it would be better to work here (in Wuhan), but the rent is too expensive. I am putting in too much money and gaining too little back,” says Mr Li, who makes a living out of selling beef noodles in Donghu, one of the spots in Wuhan brimming with roadside stalls.

He is just one in an estimated 130 million migrant workers in China, many of whom are rural folks who moved to developed cities in search for a better life. Numbers are so huge that such statistics are only rough estimates at best.

More often than not, these migrants have no official resident permit card (hukou card). Without it, they have no access to government benefits such as healthcare, medical insurance, education and the rights to work in the city.

Their children are also often unable to secure a place in a local school, and have to enrol in privately owned schools if they want to study. This costs about 300 yuan ($60) for each semester - when education in their home villages is free.

This adds an additional burden to their already strained finances. In most cases, migrants have no choice but to become roadside hawkers to make ends meet.

Setting up a typical roadside stall with two tables would cost about 4,000 yuan ($800). In a good month, it can generate up to 5,000 yuan ($1,000) in profits.

Competition is cutthroat tough, and most are pressured into slashing prices and operating for longer periods of time to gain an edge over their competitors.

Ms Qin Yan, 24, a single mother with a two-year-old child, depends on her roadside stall selling charcoal-grilled food at Guang Ba Road to bring in the dough. Working alone from 7 pm till 4 am, she does everything from setting up the stall to cooking and serving to cleaning up.

“I have a permanent backache from the long hours of standing, but what can I do? I have no choice. I have to support my child,” says Ms Qin, who is not receiving any financial help from the government.

A classic example of roadside hawkers, Ms Qin earns about 3,000 yuan ($600) a month, of which 40 percent goes to the rent for her one-room apartment. The rest is barely enough for the family of two’s daily expenses.

“I am not sure if the government provides subsidies or any other forms of help. Even if they do, I do not know where to get them,” says Ms Qin.

Just as the roadside hawkers do not know who to turn to, the authorities are equally baffled on how to help.

With the increasing influx of people from rural areas to the cities, and the failure of these migrants to register themselves, it is a near impossible task for the authorities to track them down, much less render assistance.

Mr Tu Chao, 30, a policeman, says, “Today, I might offer help to one roadside hawker. But when I turn around, I see five more of such hawkers, all of whom require similar financial aid. The next week, there will be 10 more of them.”

China’s economy may be developing rapidly, but many of its citizens are still struggling to stay alive.  Until changes are made, people like Ms Qin will just have to grit their teeth and get on with their lives.

Related posts:

1. Daily battle on the roads When you are walking on the roads of Wuhan, do...
2. Living life to the fullest … “You are not late, you are absent.” Although everay student...
3. NP makes inroads into China Ngee Ann “exports” a logistics diploma to China has students flock...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

If you’re talking about entertainment in Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei Province, then there is only one place to go - Hankou.

Undergraduate Mr Liu Wen Xiang, 24, swears by the allure of Hankou, one of the three boroughs of Wuhan. Highlighting Jiang Han, the most popular shopping area in the district, he beams as he exclaims, “Whatever entertainment it is that you seek, Jiang Han will have it, and then some more.”

Indeed, Jiang Han is anything but typical. A 24-hour entertainment hub with the standard array of shopping centres, goods, and cinema theatres, it also has street stalls and other oddities, such as street games reminiscent of our own Pasar Malam (night market).

In fact, people in Wuhan have always described the Jiang Han district as “that which never sleeps”, even before New York became synonymous with that title.

Although the countless seasons that have passed may have brought about some changes, the very core of the place remains unchanged.

“The things sold might have changed, but the spirit of Jiang Han remains very much alive, ” says Ms Chen Rui, 64, a drinks vendor who has worked in the district for over 15 years.

We walk down Jiang Han’s 12-km long Pedestrian Street (Bu Xing Jie), replete with shopping centres housing international and domestic brands. Here, the resplendent lights, inexhaustible variety of things to do and archaic architecture come together to provide an experience of unparalleled entertainment.

Ms Tanya Adrienne, a French tourist, has nothing but praise for it. “The shops and department stores seem to go on forever! I love how spacious the street is, and the Chinese sculptures add another dimension of cultural sophistication to this place,” she enthuses.

Due to its popularity and rich cultural significance, Jiang Han’s Pedestrian Street has also received the prestigious title of China’s “Golden Flower”, sharing the accolade with Beijing’s Wangfujing, Shanghai’s Nanjing Road, Tianjin’s Heping Road and Harbin’s Central Avenue.

It is 6 pm in the evening and as the skies burst into a fiery riot of crimsons and purples around me, the district’s nightlife slowly stirs to life.

At Jiang Han First Street, apparels, accessories and trinkets trade hands amidst the incessant chatter of hard-won bargains. The great variety and cheap prices make it a shopping paradise for China’s youths who love shopping but have tight budgets.

A few metres away, music mingles with the steam and sizzle from hot woks as musicians, young and old, peddle their artistry to diners at Ji Qing Street.

Madam Pin Ru, a 37-year-old diner, merrily remarks, “Good music aids in better digestion.”

It is now fast approaching 11 pm. The hustle and bustle winds down as street vendors pack up their unsold goods. The shopping centres and stores in Pedestrian Street had long since closed their shutters.

But if you think that that is all there is to Jiang Han, then you are mistaken.

Right beside the Yangtze River is the picturesque Jiang Tan Park. The hypnotic crashing of waves coupled with the pulsating beats of club music in the background create a surreal sensation of Zen, which draws an endless drove of lovers, who seek respite within its verdant grounds. If you tire of the park, an endless line of bars opening into the wee hours await you.

It is easy to lose track of time in Jiang Han. The clock now reads 6 am and the hubbub of laughter, shouting and drunken singing rampant in the air just moments ago fades into a quiet murmur. But while Jiang Tan sleeps, shops in Han Zheng Street stir to life, prepared for a new day of business.

A street vendor wheels his cart out from around the corner of the street, his arrival heralded by the aroma of freshly made fried bean curd skin (Dou Pi). We walk towards breakfast, towards a new day.

“This is why I keep coming back. There will always be something for someone here in Jiang Han, no
matter the time,” sighs Mr Liu Wen Xiang emphatically.

Related posts:

1. Daily battle on the roads When you are walking on the roads of Wuhan, do...
2. “Please, sir, buy a flower?” She pleads, kneels down, and wraps herself around my...
3. Living life on the edge [caption id="attachment_2017" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Roadside stalls like the one pictured...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The NP Fuel Cell testifies to the team spirit and creative initiative of the Engineering Team.

A year of hard work for 13 students paid off when one of their two eco cars came in second at the recent Shell Eco-Marathon (SEM) Asia 2010.

Shell’s challenge was for the teams to design, build and drive an energy-saving car that maximises fuel use but limits carbon dioxide emissions. The team of 11 Mechanical Engineering students, one Mobile Business Solutions student and one Marine & Offshore Technology student, boldly took Shell on.

The eco car, “NP Fuel Cell” (NPFC), was entered in the Prototype Fuel Cell (Hydrogen) category of the race held at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur from Jul 8 to 11.

Running 535.4 km on just a single litre of fuel, the car lost only to the team from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, whose car managed to run 598.8 km on one litre of fuel.

“Since the competition is held nearby, we did not want to waste such a golden opportunity. It is a perfect time to make our presence felt,” says Mr Kaya Totong, 51, the lecturer in charge of the project.

The cars cost around $25,000 each, and were partially sponsored by Intermech Machinery, Shimano, Parametric Technology Corporation, Product Development Solutions, Singapore Technologies Kinetics, Wai Seng Hydraulics, and NP Co-op.

“After a whole year of building the cars and spending a large sum of money on them, I am glad that we did not disappoint NP,” says Mr Totong.

For three months leading up to the competition, the students braved the scorching sun to test-drive their cars at the Sports Complex every week.

“Since it is our first time participating in this event, our [team’s] goal was to just complete the race. Winning the race was the icing on the cake, and helped to affirm all our hard work,” says Muhammad Azhar Bin Adnan, 24, a final-year Mechanical Engineering student and fellow driver of the NPFC.

The team received a medal and trophy for their win, as well as US$800 ($1100).

Related posts:

1. Formula One arrives in NP In line with Singapore’s first Formula One (F1) Grand Prix,...
2. Sleek, Mean and Intentionally Green By Iffah Rakinah NP-Distanzas Urban Concept (UC) and Prototype (Proto)...
3. Clubs discover the Nutz and bolts of teamwork The spirit of teamwork was evident among each team that...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.