THE recent release of Penang-born inventor Cheah Bok Eng’s debut book, titled “Innovation Unleashed … a 10-day journey with an inventor,” has sparked curiosity and enthusiasm in today’s technological era, where innovation plays a pivotal role.
The 42-year-old inventor made headlines last December when he received the Malaysia Book of Records certificate as the Malaysian inventor with the ‘Most Worldwide Patent Grants.’
In his book, he draws upon his 18 years of industry experience to guide and inspire budding innovators and inventors. He provides them with an essential foundation and mindset for embarking on a successful innovation journey.
To date, Cheah has more than 40 technical publications and 180+ issued patents in various technical fields, including signal and power integrity, advanced packaging and electronic device form-factor miniaturisation.
These patents are registered in 13 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, South Korea, the Netherlands, Japan, Germany, France, China and Malaysia.
Cheah has also been honoured with the prestigious Intel Top Inventor Award four times. He is also a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), an executive committee member of the Malaysia TRIZ Innovation Association (MyTRIZ) and the Malaysian Invention and Design Society (MINDS).
‘Innovation Unleashed’ offers insights into what innovation is, when and where to innovate, how to pitch ideas for funding, and the challenges and potential barriers encountered during the innovation process.
Cheah dispels the misconception that innovation is solely the domain of experts or experienced professionals, emphasising that anyone, regardless of their expertise level or industry, can embark on an innovation journey.
“My book is dedicated to innovators and inventors in the making. I am not claiming to be an expert. The book condenses 18 years of experience, and I continue to learn today because there’s much we can learn from others.
“Pioneers have laid the foundation to create the ecosystem and make it easier for us to step up to assume greater responsibility.
“Now is the time for us to put another stone so that our next generation will reach greater heights.
“Aspiration is the fuel for the journey to unleash our limitless imaginations,” Cheah told Buletin Mutiara in a recent interview.
When colleagues struggled to get their ideas approved for patent filings, they turned to Cheah, who, with his Midas touch, successfully helped them. It is no surprise that his colleagues have affectionately dubbed him ‘Patent Magician’ within his company.
“Actually, there is no secret,” Cheah explained. “I try to understand and identify the elements they want to showcase. While not every idea is a great one, there is something great in every idea.”
Over the past 13 years at Intel Malaysia, many inventors, including Dr Jackson Kong Chung Peng with over 100 patents, have journeyed alongside Cheah.
For those who are interested in innovation management or intellectual property protection, Cheah advises them to check out the framework e.g., MS ISO 56002:2019 published by Standards Malaysia or the official portal of Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO).
Asked what stirred his passion for innovation, Cheah, originally from Kampung Pisang, traces it back to a transformative period in his academic studies. He attributes a turnaround in his academic performance to his visits to a Methodist church in Air Itam and the time spent in the church library with several disciplined friends.
Interestingly, one of the disciplined friends (back then) is now Cheah’s wife (married for 17 years now with two lovely daughters – Theophila and Theophanie).
During that time, his performance in Form Four studies was less than stellar, but soon his grades improved, leading him to earn a place at the prestigious Penang Free School for his Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) or A-level equivalent education.
One of his proudest achievements at PFS was captaining Cheeseman House to claim the coveted title of overall champion in the school’s annual sports.
After graduating from Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2005 with a degree in chemistry, Cheah began his career as a semiconductor package assembly engineer at Intel Malaysia.
Despite initial feelings of inferiority due to his limited industry knowledge compared to his peers from top-notch universities worldwide, Cheah made a determined effort to acquire the necessary knowledge through countless hours of technical and literature studies. Today, he holds the position of an engineering manager.
Cheah said he fully supports the state government’s efforts in promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education.
“It’s an excellent initiative. I urge them to persist. They are sowing the seeds among the young ones, and it is of paramount importance to ignite their curiosity. Each facet of STEM components is interrelated,” Cheah said.
“Innovation Unleashed” not only serves as a valuable guide for newcomers and those pursuing careers but also offers advice to seasoned experts.
He emphasised the importance of successful innovators giving back to society by nurturing the growth of others.
Cheah’s dedication to promoting innovation has positively impacted more than 3,000 students and professionals at both national and international levels, including countries like Vietnam, the United States, Taiwan, India and China.
Cheah said he is honoured to be given the opportunity to steer the historic Malaysia Inventor and Innovator Convention (MyIIC) under the auspices of the Malaysian Invention and Design Society (MINDS) in Penang in December next year.
He sees this event as an invaluable opportunity to work with academician Tan Sri Emeritus Prof Datuk Dr Augustine One Soon Hock, who is also known as the Father of Malaysian Palm Oil, and many national prominent researchers.
“There are always greater opportunities awaiting you as you enable others to grow to a point where they even outperform you,” Cheah said in his book.
The conference, slated as a one-day event, will be by invitation, with attendance limited to 300 to 500 participants.
MyIIC aims to involve public universities, private universities, international schools and upper secondary schools nationwide to facilitate meaningful interaction between students and industry players in the E&E (electrical and electronics) and the MedTech sectors.
The organisers are also planning to invite STEMSEL foundation, a company based in Adelaide and renowned for its easy coding using runlinc for internet of things (IoT) to take part in the convention.
As a Malaysian author, Cheah takes immense pride in the fact that ‘Innovation Unleashed’ will be available in the National Library. Furthermore, his name will be etched in the annals of Intel’s history for the patents he has diligently acquired through his innovative journey.
At the core of Cheah’s philosophy lies a simple yet profound motto: “Be a person that others will be inspired by after talking with you.”
Regarding his book, Cheah shared: “Writing a book is a significant endeavour to document your journey and the cherished memories with your partners. For those fortunate enough to find excellent collaborators, cherish the moments. Finding a good partner is not easy, but when you do, treasure it. These are some of the experiences I documented working with them,” Cheah said.
Another proud and memorable moment occurred when he had the opportunity to meet Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and present his book to him recently. Chow commended him for his outstanding achievements and pursuit of innovation with excellent spirit.
Cheah’s book will be available online via mybuku.com website or through Shopee and Lazada with an original retail price of RM49.90.
Story by Norman Sim and K.H. Ong
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhamad and courtesy of Cheah Bok Eng