KUCHING 24 SEPTEMBER 2025 Young innovators from across Southeast Asia gathered in Kuching for the fifth ASEAN Energy Youth Awards (AEYA) 2025, jointly organised by Sarawak Energy and the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE). Held in conjunction with the Sustainability and Renewable Energy Forum (SAREF) 4.0 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) on 3 and 4 September, the event highlighted the important role of youth in shaping the region’s renewable energy future. Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, The Right Honourable Dato’ Sri Haji Fadillah Haji Yusof presented the awards during the closing ceremony of SAREF 4.0 on 4 September.
Carrying the theme “Powering ASEAN’s Future: Youth Innovation in Hydropower and Renewable Energy”, the awards invited ASEAN youth aged 15 to 35 to showcase innovative solutions for the region’s sustainable energy future. This year’s competition attracted 384 submissions across three categories – Policy Pitch (156), Videos (34) and Infographics (194) – with participants representing Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Singapore. Final presentations by the top three finalists in each category were held at the SAREF 4.0 Youth Pavilion. Among the finalists were five from Indonesia, three from the Philippines and one from Cambodia.
“These awards demonstrate the creativity and determination of young people across ASEAN in driving the renewable energy agenda. Their ideas reflect the region’s shared vision of a sustainable energy future,” said Siti Aisah Adenan, Senior Vice President for Corporate Services, Sarawak Energy.
The panel of judges was comprised of Dr Andy Tirta, Head of Corporate Affairs at the ASEAN Centre for Energy; Ir Dr Angelia Liew San Chuin, Advisor for Climate Change, Energy and Sustainable Development at the Department of the Premier of Sarawak; Ir Tony Ting Tiew Whong, Senior Manager, Hydro Department, Sarawak Energy; and Hjh Happy Fadzilla Ali binti Hj Punjabi, Senior Electrical Engineer, Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication Sarawak.
“Youth are at the heart of ASEAN’s energy transition. Platforms like the ASEAN Energy Youth Awards empower them to innovate, lead, and collaborate, while ACE and Sarawak Energy work together to support youth-driven sustainable energy solutions,” said Dr Andy Tirta, Head of Corporate Affairs for the ASEAN Centre for Energy.
Through AEYA, Sarawak Energy and the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) continue to support innovation, creativity and collaboration among ASEAN youth. The awards highlight the importance of clean and renewable energy in advancing the region’s sustainable future and the role of young people in driving the energy transition. Cash prizes were presented to winners for each category:
- 1st Place Winner: US$1,000
- 2nd Place Winner: US$750
- 3rd Place Winner: US$500
List of the 5th ASEAN Energy Youth Awards Awardees & Entries
| Category | Winner | Group/Individual Name | Title of presentation | Country |
| Innovation Lab Track: Policy Pitch | Winner | Group name: Fisconomics1. Muhammad Ilham Pratama 2. Siti Komariah 3. Faiz Attaqi | Beyond Megadams: ASHARE, A Policy Framework to Unlock ASEAN's Community-Scale Hydropower Potential | Indonesia |
| 1st Runner Up | Group name: AQUA Wŏ Men
|
From Flow to Future: The AQUA Framework for Resilient & Responsible ASEAN Hydropower | Indonesia | |
| 2nd Runner UP | Group name: AUB-PL 1. Ensophea Toch 2.Helen Chhit | Cross-Border Hydro Synergy (CBHS): A Regional Framework for Sustainable and Cooperative Hydropower in Southeast Asia”. | Cambodia | |
| Creative Advocacy Track: Video Challenge | Winner | Jhun Jhun Agustin | Powered By Youth, Driven By Water | Philippines |
| 1st Runner Up | Prince Loyd Cabalida Besorio | Powering Mindanao through Iligan's Majestic Waterfall | Philippines | |
| 2nd Runner Up | Mareeno Anang Septianto | Microhydro: Powered by Nature, Driven by Youth | Indonesia | |
| Creative Advocacy Track: Infographic | Winner | Francheska Jhoy Panganiban Rembulat | EMPOWER: The Future is Youth-Powered | Philippines |
| 1st Runner Up | Muh Fauzan H | Empowering Smart Villages Through Micro-Hydropower: A Path Toward Sustainable Rural Innovation | Indonesia | |
| 2nd Runner Up | Michael | Hydropower: One Step Closer to ASEAN Energy Sustainability | Indonesia |
For more information on AEYA and past winners, visit go.aseanenergy.org/AEYA /-END. About Sarawak Energy Sarawak Energy Berhad (Sarawak Energy) is an energy development company and a vertically integrated electricity utility with a vision to achieve sustainable growth and prosperity for Sarawak by meeting the region's need for reliable, renewable energy. With a multidisciplinary workforce comprising about 6,300 employees, Sarawak Energy serves more than 800,000 customers and a population of nearly 3 million across the state. Building on a strong foundation of 100 years as an effective utility company, Sarawak Energy is taking bold steps to support the transformation of Sarawak in its vision to become a developed state by the year 2030. In line with our broader roles and responsibilities, Sarawak Energy has embarked on a massive transformation journey since 2010, to advance from a traditional utility company into a modern and agile corporation. For more information, visit www.sarawakenergy.com.
For media queries, please contact: Alexson Juna Anak Henry Yan Masing [email protected] H/P: 016-2476130Joseph R. Kaos Jr.[email protected]019-379 2302
About ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE)
Established on 1 January 1999, the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) is an intergovernmental organisation within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) structure that represents the 10 ASEAN Member States’ (AMS) interests in the energy sector. ACE supports the implementation of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC), a blueprint for the ASEAN energy sector. The Centre is guided by a Governing Council composed of Senior Officials on Energy from each AMS and a representative from the ASEAN Secretariat as an ex-officio member. The three key roles of ACE:
- As a catalyst to unify and strengthen ASEAN energy cooperation and integration by implementing relevant capacity-building programmes and projects to assist the AMS in developing its energy sector.
- As the ASEAN energy data centre and knowledge hub, to provide a knowledge repository for the AMS.
- As an ASEAN energy think tank to assist the AMS by identifying and surfacing innovative solutions for ASEAN’s energy challenges on policies, legal & regulatory frameworks and technologies.
Keeping the region’s improvement, sustainable and harmless to the ecosystem is a fundamental concern of the ASEAN energy sector. Hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia, ACE’s office is located in Jakarta, Indonesia. For more information about ACE, visit our website: https://aseanenergy.org. For media queries, please contact: Communications Team[email protected]
