IPB University Students Win Second Place in National MTQ Writing Competition

Sanhaji and MH Azhmi are students from the Department of Mechanical and Biosystem Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, IPB University who are restless seeing the daily life of sulfur miners on Mount Wijen in fulfilling their daily lives. The reason is, these miners cannot perform the Subh prayer because they have to climb the mountain since 3.00 am and arrive at the top of Mount Wijen at around 6.00 am.

This condition then motivates the two engineering students to provide real solutions in dealing with the problems experienced by the miners on Mount Wijen. Through the National Musabaqah Tilawatil Qur’an (MTQ) Scientific Writing Competition, Sanhaji and Azhmi proposed a modified cart which could be the right solution for sulfur miners to do the Subh prayer on time. The scientific paper was entitled ‘3S Transporter: Innovative and Efficient Sulfur Carriage Cart for Sulfur Miners on Mount Wijen’, and based on the contents of the Qur’an Surah. The 3S stands for Prayer, Safety, and Prosperity, which were focuses that Sanhaji and Azhmi wanted to realize.

Through this scientific paper, Sanhaji and Azhmi had successfully won the Second Place at the competition held by the Directorate General of Learning and Student Affairs (Ditjen Belmawa) of the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education (Kemenristekdikti) (28/7-4/8). This competition was held at Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh.

This cart innovation is equipped with an electric motor which is the main driver of the cart. Usually, miners need up to three hours to reach the mountain peak. However, with this electric motor engine innovation, miners can speed up the journey to the top of Mount Wijen with a relatively short travel time of about 40 minutes. Thus, sulfur miners can take a break and perform the Subh prayer on time.

Moreover, this innovation can also improve the working safety of sulfur miners on Mount Wijen. Usually, they have to push the cart manually over steep and tortuous slopes. The innovative cart is equipped with disc brakes that can withstand loads of up to 400 kilograms so that the safety of miners will be better maintained.

In addition to prayer and safety, the scientific paper also paid attention to the welfare of the miners. Initially, miners’ cart is only able to carry a maximum of 150 kilograms of sulfur. However, equipped with disc brakes, the innovative cart can carry 400 kilograms of sulfur, thus, leads to an increase in daily income.

“These three things are interrelated. If the miner prays five times and on time, then Allah will provide safety and welfare. That is, the content of the verse we are trying to show in this scientific paper,” concluded Sanhaji. (AD/Zul/zsp).