Sekolah Kebangsaan Manir – a primary school in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, which is tackling rising BMIs with a data-driven app and programme to cultivate sustainable healthy habits through daily self-monitoring, reflection, and goal setting – has been awarded the US$15,000 AIA Outstanding Active Lifestyles Award 2026.
Now in its fourth year, the competition is a flagship initiative of the AIA Healthiest Schools programme (AHS), which empowers students aged 5 to 16 to embed healthy living into daily life across four key pillars: healthy eating, active living, mental wellbeing and sustainability.
Sekolah Kebangsaan Manir was selected from nearly 1,000 entries across Asia-Pacific, the highest participation level since the programme’s launch, and was announced at a regional ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand.
The AIA Healthiest Schools Competition challenges schools to turn their best health and wellbeing ideas into practical action. By applying what they have learned to real-life issues, students are embedding healthy habits into daily life while creating positive impact within schools and across their wider communities.
Stuart A. Spencer, Head Judge of the AIA Healthiest Schools Competition and AIA Group Chief Marketing Officer, said: “The AIA Healthiest Schools Competition is the largest programme of its kind in Asia and is helping young people take ownership of their health by turning knowledge into action. “Across the region, we are seeing rising levels of inactivity, poorer nutrition, and increasing mental health pressures among young people, and the evidence shows that early intervention can make a lasting difference. Through this programme, students are developing healthier habits and essential life skills such as creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork.
“This programme goes far beyond awareness – it is driving real, lasting behaviour change, and is a powerful manifestation of our Purpose of helping people live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.
“Congratulations to Sekolah Kebangsaan Manir from Malaysia. Your shining example will inspire countless others across the region, shaping a healthier future for young people all over Asia.”
In his speech at the event, Lee Yuan Siong, AIA Group Chief Executive and President, said: “What is most powerful about this programme is that it turns health from something students are taught into something they do every day. “On their own, actions like eating better, moving more and looking after mental wellbeing seem simple – but when repeated across schools and communities, they change behaviour at scale.”