Curtin Sarawak calling for entries for Newspaper Bag Design & Break Competition

Miri – 19 August 2014 – Entries are open for the Newspaper Bag Design & Break Competition 2014 being jointly organised by Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) and its student-run Curtin Environmental Club (CEC) in conjunction with Curtin Sarawak Open Day 2014 on 20 September 2014.

This is the second time the competition is being held with the support of the Miri City Council and corporate sponsors following a very successful inaugural event last year. The competition supports Curtin Sarawak’s environmental sustainability programme and Miri’s goal of becoming a ‘green city’.

The competition, which offers attractive cash prizes to the winners, requires participants to fabricate shopping bags out of used newspapers within given specifications, which will then be put through load tests to see which can withstand the greatest load. Last year, the record set was 53.7 kg by Jason Ha with a bag weighing 80 gm.

The competition is open to members of the public regardless of age, as well as students of local schools, and entry is free of charge.

The participants are encouraged to be as creative as possible in their designs, yet keep within the competition rules, which include using only newspapers and glue to fabricate the bags. Pins, clips, thread, sticky tape and staples are not allowed.

Participants are to ensure the length, height and width of their bags are not less than 20 cm. The bags must also have at least one handle, which must not be less than 20 cm in height (the height of the handle will not be considered part of the bag’s height), and the maximum self-weight of the bags must not exceed 30 gm.

Participants can submit only one bag each in the competition and they are required to bring their bags for load tests and judging at the university’s School of Business Building (Heron 2) anytime between 10 am and 1 pm on 20 September 2014. The paper bags will be hung on a rod using their handles as supports and static loads will be continuously placed into the bags until the bags or handles give way.

The bags that can sustain the most weight will be declared the winners. The prize-giving will be at 4 pm at the same venue and the judges’ decisions will be final and no correspondence or discussion will be entered into.

The first-prize winner stands to win RM300 cash, while the second and third-prize winners will receive RM200 and RM100 respectively. There will also be a RM100 cash prize for ‘Best creativity’ and 30 prizes of RM10 each for early bird entries. All entrants will receive free U-Mobile starter packs with free RM5 airtime credit pre-loaded sponsored by 1M Telemart (Miri) Trading.

For more information on the competition, contact Han Yi Chiew at 012-831 2929 or the Curtin Sarawak Open Day 2014 Secretariat at 085-443806, or alternatively, by email to curtin.cec@gmail.com or corpcomm@curtin.edu.my. You can also get more details on Facebook at www.facebook.com/newspaperbag and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN5lKYkI3rE&feature=youtu.be.

Other contests and competitions being held in conjunction with Curtin Sarawak Open Day 2014 are a Fishing Competition and Miri’s Got Talent Competition, both of which are open to the public, and a Mr & Miss Curtin Contest and Curtin – CPA Australia Entrepreneurship Challenge, which is open to students of the university.

In addition, there will be an Innovation Expo; Future Students’ Booth and academic activities for invited secondary school students; car and big bike shows; Melanau Tibou and cultural showcase; Charity & Community Corner; stage performances; Kiddies’ Corner; free health checks, blood donation drive and mobile dental clinic; food and beverage stalls and games booths; 15th Anniversary Exhibition; and attractive door gifts and lucky draw prizes.

More details are available on the Curtin Sarawak Open Day 2014 webpage at www.curtin.edu.my/openday2014/ or the event’s Facebook page (Curtin Sarawak Open Day 2014).

The Curtin Sarawak Open Day is the grandest and most anticipated annual event at the Curtin Sarawak campus and an occasion for the university to showcase its facilities, academic programmes and vibrant campus life amidst much fun and festivity. This year’s event is of special significance as it mark’s Curtin Sarawak’s fifteenth year anniversary and there will be much celebration of its achievements since its establishment as the first international campus of Curtin University in 1999. A record 7.412 visitors attended last year’s event and the university hopes to break the 10,000 mark this year.

Volunteers displaying some of last year’s entries.


Last year’s winning bag by Jason Ha.