Organised by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Federal Territory Youth Council (MBWP), the programme drew participants aged between 15 and 40 from across Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

MBWP president Khairul Rizam Abu Samah said the competition brought together youths from diverse backgrounds while underscoring the importance of building a safe and responsible digital ecosystem.

“’Explorace’ wasn’t just about physical activities. It also focused on learning, particularly by introducing technical communication skills that are rarely shared with the public,” he told Bernama.

Programme director and MBWP committee member Aliff Izzuddin Baharuddin said the wide mix of ages and ethnicities reflected young people’s openness to learning new skills.

Aliff added that challenges involving Morse code, semaphore – a system of sending messages – and the phonetic alphabet tested participants’ precision and competence in emergency and technical communication.

“By involving different youth groups, we can see their diversity and willingness to learn skills that may not be widely known, but are important in certain situations,” he said.

Winners of the competition will receive RM2,000, with RM1,500 for second place and RM1,000 for third. Consolation prizes will also be awarded to the top 10 teams.

Participant Muhammad Zuhair Mohd Fuad, 22, described the programme as both challenging and unexpected, saying it demanded strong teamwork to complete tasks at each checkpoint.

Held under the theme “Teknologi Pintar, Pilihan Selamat: Penggunaan AI Secara Selamat dan Bertanggungjawab”, or “Smart technology, safe choices: using AI responsibly”, Safer Internet Day 2026 highlighted the importance of making informed digital decisions in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.

The event concluded with Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil officiating Safer Internet Day 2026 and launching the Safe Internet Campaign 2026.