UTM student and Vistawood Industries take the spotlight

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, March 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Amid the bustle of its biggest show ever, Malaysian International Furniture Fair 2023 announced the winners of the 2023 MIFF Furniture Design Competition (FDC) and Best Presentation Award for exhibitors on 3 March.

Aric Neo Yong Yea, a 23-year-old student from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, won the judges over with "MOD" a modular seating concept to beat over 250 competitors for the top prize of RM5,000 in the MIFF FDC challenge themed "Post-pandemic Workspace Furniture".

Yasmin Hanie Mohamad Zamri, 22, of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Puncak Alam took second prize for S'hook Chair described as the office-on-the-go while Bryan Lim Li Quan of Southern University College was third with Mount, also a seating concept that can convert into a small table with two stools.

UiTM Puncak Alam had plenty to celebrate, sweeping the Best Institution Award and all three Best Mentor Awards through Sarah Rahman, Nur Adilla Abd Rahman and Zainullah Zainal Abidin.

The winners received their prizes from Tuan Abdul Hadi Omar, Deputy Secretary-General (Strategic Planning and Management) at the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities.

An international jury of five industry experts led by Malaysia's well-known Dr Eric Leong selected 20 finalists from 269 submissions from 24 design institutions and six from the private sector.

Entries were evaluated based on aesthetics, functionality and marketability with the judges looking out for sustainable elements and the incorporation of technology in design.

The works of the FDC winners and remaining finalists are exhibited in MITEC before an estimated 20,000 strong international audience at MIFF 2023 which comes to a close tomorrow.

Adding to the excitement was the top exhibitor prize for Best Presentation Award which went to Muar-based Vistawood Industries Sdn Bhd, a children furniture specialist, standing out from the array of creative and innovative booth designs by a record attendance of 671 companies this year.

Coming in second was Johann & Joann Concept Sdn Bhd and third was Hin Lim Furniture Manufacturer Sdn Bhd.

Merit awards were presented to five companies  -- Alustil Sdn Bhd, Eastern Decorator Sdn Bhd, Step Furniture Manufacturer Sdn Bhd, Wintech Metal Processing Sdn Bhd and Zhejiang Runda Kehong Furniture Co Ltd.

The booths were judged on design, creativity, construction and product presentation by an international jury led by Chief Judge Zilahi Imre, the Editor-in-chief of Magmob publication from Romania.

"It is important to recognise and celebrate the efforts of young designers and our exhibitors to inspire them to push the boundaries of innovation.  As demonstrated at MIFF, it is very exciting to see how creativity can enhance business growth. We want to keep nurturing the spirit and also, we want to put young designers in the spotlight to help them start and build a successful career in the industry. I want to thank the judges for all their patience and hard work, they have done a tremendous job in going through a lot of entries. Our appreciation goes out to our long-time partner, FRIM, for supporting BPA with furniture tests for all the winners," said Ms Kelie Lim, MIFF General Manager.

MIFF FDC Jury: Chief Judge Dr Eric Leong (Malaysia),  Hamidah Abdullah (Malaysia), Tul Lekutai (Deco Moda Studio, Thailand), Walter Tan (Elemental Republic, Malaysia);  Chris Bosse (LAVA Asia Pacific, Australia)

BPA Jury: Chief Judge Zilahi Imre, Editor-in-chief, Magmob (Romania); Philippe Mechin, Mobilium News (France), Abu Zarim Abu Bakar, AZ Rekatelier (Malaysia), Iko In Kong Wah, IN Publishers Sdn Bhd (Malaysia), Xiao Jia, Furniture & Interior Design (China), Roberta Mutti,  Design Diffusion News Magazine (Italy),  Stefan Mielchen, Mobelmarkt (Germany).

Visit the MIFF website (www.miff.com.my) to learn more of exhibitors and products.

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To contact the MIFF Team, email: info@miff.com.my.

Notes to Editors

About MIFF (www.miff.com.my)

MIFF is the largest and leading export-oriented furniture trade show in Southeast Asia showcasing the widest collection of Made-in-Malaysia wooden furniture, home furniture and office furniture. Since 1995, MIFF is a one-stop platform connecting a wider community of 20,000+ buyers from 140 countries and regions. MIFF is organised by Informa Markets which is a part of Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B event organiser in the world.