Gadgets Invented By Malaysians

Malaysia, in some ways, at least, is a land of milk and honey—we have a list of achievements to be proud of, including inventions that caught the attention of consumers—both locally and internationally. Being Anak Malaysia and Buatan Malaysia ourselves, we are thrilled to share some of the brilliant inventions of other Anak Malaysia.

Here is a list of five Malaysian-invented gadgets that have changed the world we live.

1. Polyclone Machine

To be honest, we have never heard of the word “polyclone”—not until the machine that makes rubber stamps was invented by Robest Yong in 1993. Aside from being smaller and cheaper than a Japanese made machine, the polyclone is environmental-friendly because it uses water instead of oil throughout the production process. The wow-factor here is that the machine is capable of making one high quality rubber stamp in five minutes.

2. USB flash drive

This is a life-saving invention! There was a point where we wondered if the floppy disks (yes, the diskettes!) could store more data than ever. Then, Taiwan-based Malaysian Pua Khein Seng – also known as the father of pen drive—put an end to all our worries when he invented the first-ever single chip USB flash drive.

3. Lytro

The world’s first consumer Light Field Camera was invented by Yi-Ren Ng. This camera includes the features of refocusing images once the shots are taken, capturing images more quickly than conventional point-and-shoot camera, the ability to capture in low-light environment without a flash, and focus at variable depths.

4. Selfie stick

According to the Wall Street Journal, selfie sticks started its trend in Malaysia, but the question is: who invented it? Selfie stick made it big across Asia in 2014, particularly in Malaysia and Indonesia (and looks like the trend isn’t out of style—yet. Well, we all know the convenience of a selfie stick!

5. Loom bands

Well, loom bands may not be a gadget, but it sure did steal the limelight! USA-based Ng Cheong Choon, the name behind “Rainbow Loom” craze, came out with the idea when he saw his daughters making bracelets out of rubber bands. So, if you’re wearing one now, flash it and be proud of it!

After looking at these inventions that somehow changed our lives, we surely live up to the tagline “Malaysia Boleh!” As Walt Disney puts it, “if you can dream it, you can do it!”