I asked a room full of students a simple question this morning.

"Do you believe that AI can change your future?"

Hands shot up. Heads nodded. A few said "yes, Coach!" with the kind of confidence that fills a room.

Then I asked the follow-up: "Okay — so what have you actually done about it?"

Silence.

That silence told me everything. And it reminded me of a man who stood at the edge of Niagara Falls in 1859 — and changed how I think about belief forever.

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BANGKIT 2026: Kulai, Johor

This morning, Cluebee Sdn Bhd hosted Program BANGKIT 2026 at Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Kota Kulai 2 in Johor. Over 30 young Malaysians joined us — a mix of fresh SPM school leavers still figuring out their next step, and Form 5 students currently in the thick of their SPM preparation.

BANGKIT — which stands for Bangunkan Jiwa, Acuan Mindset, Nyalakan Potensi, Gambarkan Impian, Kuasa AI, Impian Jadi Realiti, Transform Hidup — was designed to address something I see too often: young people who are smart, capable, and full of potential, but stuck. Not because they lack ability. But because they lack direction, belief, and the right tools.

In four and a half hours, we tried to change that. Here's what happened.

Module 1 · Creativity

Drawing Your Future Before You Can See It

The morning opened with Dr. Ruzaimi Mat Rani — a PhD holder in Creative Multimedia from MMU and one of Malaysia's most dynamic HRD Corp accredited trainers — taking the floor for a session on Visualization Through Freehand (VTF).

Most of us were taught that planning means writing bullet points in a notebook. VTF flips that completely. Using a method called Drawzania, Dr. Ruzaimi guided students to draw their ideas, goals, and vision of the future — freehand, on paper, without judgment.

The hand that draws is the mind that thinks. When you put a pen to paper and draw your future, something shifts inside you. It becomes real.

Dr. Ruzaimi Mat Rani

This isn't just a creative exercise. VTF has been recognised at the QS Reimagine Education Awards & Conference 2025 in London — the Oscars of global education innovation. Every student in that room was learning from a methodology that has stood on an international stage.

The hands-on activity, "Peta Masa Depanku" (My Future Map), had students mapping out their dreams, goals, and the path they envisioned for themselves. Some laughed nervously at first — "Coach, I can't draw!" — but by the end, they were staring at their own work with quiet pride. It's remarkable what comes out of you when you stop thinking and start drawing.

Module 2 · AI & Self-Development

The Man Who Crossed Niagara Falls — and What He Taught Us About AI

This was my session. And I want to share it here in full — because I think it's a lesson that goes beyond a morning program in Kulai, Johor.

First, a story from 1859.

The Story of Charles Blondin

In 1859, a French acrobat named Charles Blondin became the first person in history to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope — 335 metres long, 50 metres above the roaring water, with no safety net below.

Fifty thousand people lined the shores to watch. When he reached the other side, the crowd erupted.

But he wasn't done. He crossed again — this time blindfolded. Then on stilts. Then pushing a wheelbarrow. Then he stopped in the middle, sat down, and cooked an omelette.

Each time, the crowd went wild. They believed in him completely.

Then Blondin turned to the crowd and asked: "Do you believe I can carry a man across on my back?"

"YES!" they roared. "We believe you! You can do it!"

Blondin smiled. He pointed into the crowd and said:

"Then who will climb on?"

The crowd fell silent. Not a single person stepped forward — except his own manager, Harry Colcord, who had worked beside him for years and had seen what Blondin could do. Harry climbed on. They crossed together. Safe.

Everyone else? They believed. But only in their heads. Not with their feet.

I told this story to the room and then I made it personal.

We are living through the Niagara Falls moment of our generation. AI is not coming — it is already here. ChatGPT. Claude. Gemini. Tools that can help you study, write, plan, research, and build things that would have taken a team of people just five years ago.

Most young people know this. They've heard about AI. They nod along in conversations. They say, "Yes, AI is the future."

But very few have actually climbed on the rope.

Knowing is not enough. Agreeing is not enough. The world rewards the ones who actually use what they believe in.

Coach Amirul

I walked them through real, practical ways to use AI — not as a cheat code, but as a thinking partner. How to use it to understand difficult concepts. How to use it to draft, organise and improve their ideas. How it can help them explore career paths they didn't even know existed.

For the SPM students in the room, I wanted them to leave knowing that the students who will stand out — not just in results, but in life — are the ones who learn to use these tools with intention and wisdom. For the SPM leavers, I wanted them to see that the gap they feel right now between "I have my results" and "I have a future" can be bridged, and AI is one of the ropes they can use.

But only if they choose to climb on.

Module 3 · Rohani & Discipline

The One Resource Nobody Can Give You Back

Ustaz Abdul Mukmin Zulkifli — a scholar with a Master's in Islamic Studies from UKM and a degree from Al-Azhar University — closed the program with something that grounded everything we had discussed.

Time management.

It may sound like a practical topic, but the way Ustaz Mukmin framed it gave it a different weight entirely. In Islam, time is not just a resource — it is an amanah, a trust. Every hour we are given is an opportunity we will be accountable for.

He spoke about how the greatest achievers in history weren't just talented — they were disciplined with their time. They knew what mattered. They said no to what didn't. And they protected the hours that counted.

You can lose money and earn it back. You can lose health and recover. But time? Once it's gone, no dua, no effort, no amount of regret can bring it back.

Ustaz Abdul Mukmin Zulkifli

For students waiting for their SPM results, this was especially piercing. The weeks of waiting are not empty — they are full of potential, if you choose to fill them intentionally. For those preparing for SPM, the message was equally clear: how you spend your days right now is exactly how you will spend your future.

The session ended with a group reflection and doa. And I think it was the right note to close on — because after a morning of creativity, technology, and ambition, we needed that moment of stillness. That reminder of why we do any of this in the first place.

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What These Students Are Taking Home

From BANGKIT 2026, every participant leaves with:

  • Their own hand-drawn "Future Map" — a visual blueprint of where they want to go, made using the internationally recognised VTF method
  • A story they won't forget — and the question it leaves behind: am I just watching from the shore, or am I getting on the rope?
  • A practical understanding of how to use AI as a tool in their studies and future career
  • A framework for managing time with intention and purpose
  • Access to the BANGKIT WhatsApp community for ongoing motivation, AI tips, and career guidance
  • A free digital copy of Upgrade Yourself Volume 1 — a 30-day self-transformation guide

A Final Word

I've done a lot of programs. But there's something about a room full of 16 to 18-year-olds that always moves me deeply.

They're at the edge of Niagara Falls. The rope is there. The crowd is cheering. Everything they need is in front of them.

The only question is: who will climb on?

Today, I believe a few more of them are ready to.

To every student who showed up this morning — thank you for your time, your openness, and your courage to be in that room. The fact that you came is already proof that you're not just watching from the shore.

You've already taken the first step onto the rope.

Now keep walking. 🤍

Want to bring BANGKIT to your school or organisation?

BANGKIT is a repeatable program.
We bring it to you.

BANGKIT 2026 is designed to run at schools, NGOs, government bodies, universities, and private organisations across Malaysia. If you want to give this experience to the young people around you, let's talk.