Malaysia / English
Kao Malaysia Celebrates Young Environmental Advocates at the Award Ceremony of the 16th Kao International Environment Painting Contest for Children
Group photo of representatives from Kao Malaysia together with the Ministry of Education Malaysia, award recipients, teachers and guests during the Award Ceremony of the 16th Kao International Environment Painting Contest for Children.
Petaling Jaya, 30 March 2026 – Kao Malaysia proudly hosted the Malaysian Award Ceremony for the 16th Kao International Environment Painting Contest for Children, recognizing young talents who expressed their hopes for a sustainable future through art. The ceremony welcomed Puan Nor Hapipah, Ketua Penolong Pengarah and Encik Wan, Penolong Pengarah from the Ministry of Education Malaysia, who attended as distinguished guests to celebrate the achievements of participating students and to acknowledge the strong support from schools across the country.
Launched globally in 2010, the Kao International Environment Painting Contest for Children encourages children around the world to express their thoughts about the global environment and the future of the planet through creative artworks. Through this initiative, the Kao Group aims to convey its purpose of realizing a Kirei World, where all life lives in harmony by creating a cleaner, more beautiful and healthier life for people and the planet.
Kao Malaysia President, Mr. Yamazaki Hirobumi, presenting certificates and recognition awards to Honourable Mention winners (pictured in the middle of the photo collage) and KPM Grand Prize and National winners (pictured on the left and right of the photo collage), in appreciation of their creative expression on environmental sustainability.
Kao Malaysia President, Mr. Yamazaki Hirobumi, presenting prizes to group prize winners (Photos 1 – 3, clockwise from left), followed by the presentation of a token of appreciation to representatives from the Ministry of Education Malaysia in recognition of their continued support and collaboration (last photo).
Strong Participation from Malaysia
The 16th contest recorded a total of 25,159 entries from 31 countries and regions, marking the highest participation since the contest began. Malaysia emerged as the country with the highest number of submissions, contributing 10,690 entries, which represents 42% of the global total.
Of the entries received from Malaysia:
- 95% were submitted by students from national schools
- 5% came from art schools and individual participants
This remarkable participation reflects a 135% increase compared to last year’s submissions, demonstrating growing awareness and enthusiasm among Malaysian students toward environment sustainability.
Kao Malaysia extends its sincere appreciation to the Ministry of Education Malaysia and teachers nationwide for their invaluable support in promoting the contest and encouraging students to participate. Beyond nurturing creativity, participation in the contest also provides students with merit points that contribute to their educational development, further motivating them to engage in environment awareness activities.
Winners’ Artwork
Turning Children’s Creativity into Environmental Action
The contest also carries a meaningful environmental impact. For the second year, Kao implemented a donation initiative where 50 Japanese yen is contributed for every painting submitted to support environmental conservation efforts.
For the 16th contest, this initiative resulted in a total donation of 1.258 million Japanese yen, which will be distributed to environmental organizations including:
- World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
- OISCA International Green Forest Conservation
- PIRIKA Marine
Through this initiative, the creativity and environmental awareness expressed by children are transformed into tangible contributions toward wildlife protection, forest conservation, and marine pollution reduction.
Inspiring Future Generations
Kao Malaysia expressed its appreciation for the strong collaboration with the Ministry of Education Malaysia in nurturing young environmental advocates. Kao Malaysia looks forward to continuing its partnership with the Ministry of Education in the years to come, creating more opportunities for students across the country to showcase their talents while fostering environmental responsibility through art and creativity.
By empowering young minds to think about the environment today, Kao hopes to inspire future generations to take meaningful actions toward building a more sustainable world. Discover more about Kao International Environment Painting Contest for Children contest and explore the children’s winning artwork HERE.
Media inquiries should be directed to:
Corporate Communication Division
Ms. Jenny Yong / Ms. Ong Sheng Yih
Kao (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
19th Floor, Menara Access World,
No.1, Jalan 19/3,
46300 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia