6 August 2026, Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Tapang, Tumpat - Interest in science-based streams among Malaysian students remains a concern, with STEM enrolment currently at just 47 percent and pure sciences at only 19 percent. The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2026–2035 has reinforced STEM as a national education priority, targeting 20 percent pure-science enrolment by 2035. In support of this agenda, Science Made Fun (SMF) has been held annually since 2013 to reignite students' interest in STEM through fun, hands-on activities.

This year, SMF 2026 was organised at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Tapang, Tumpat, by the Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), through the joint management of its Students' Association (MOMED) and the Industry & Community Network Division (BJIM), in collaboration with strategic partners: Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah (PPD) Tumpat, Kelantan; the Malaysian Society of Human Genetics (MSHG); and the Physiology Department, School of Medical Sciences, USM. Led by Project Director, Mr. Ahmad Firdaus bin Ahmad Sukri, the programme brought together 61 Year 6 students from SK Sungai Tapang under PPD Tumpat's supervision, with the aims of nurturing early interest in STEM and strengthening ties between industry, community, universities, and schools.

The event began with opening remarks from the school’s Headmistress, Ms. Jamilah binti Bongsu and the Project Advisor from INFORMM, Dr. Noor Fatmawati binti Mokhtar. This year introduced a new "Explorace" format — a competitive, station-based activity combining scientific exploration with team challenges. Students rotated in small groups through six stations consisting of: i) Shaking Ice-Cream, exploring states of matter through an ice-and-salt freezing technique; ii) Maths Ninja, a snakes-and-ladders-style arithmetic challenge; iii) Human Anatomy Puzzle, assembling body parts to learn basic anatomy; iv) Rainbow Tower, layering liquids of different densities; v) Flying Ball, demonstrating Bernoulli's Principle through airflow; and vi) Genetics Station, solving problems on hereditary and family genetics. Facilitators guided each group throughout, encouraging two-ways communication and interactive sessions. An interactive quiz session then followed to reinforce understanding of the concepts covered at each station, with attractive prizes awarded to the winners. The programme concluded with a prize-giving ceremony recognising the top three Explorace teams — Champion, First Runner-up, and Second Runner-up — adding an extra element of excitement to the day's proceedings.

In conclusion, the programme was a resounding success, delivered by more than 30 committee members and met with overwhelmingly positive feedback from students and the school, including Ms. Jamilah Bongsu, who expressed appreciation for the organisers and hoped for continued collaboration in the future. Moving forward, Science Made Fun will continue as an annual flagship programme, further strengthening STEM initiatives and biomedical science outreach among students across Malaysia.