KUCHING –Chung Hua Middle School No. 1 was crowned champion of the sixth World Schools Debating Championship after beating SMK St Teresa in the tournament organised by Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, recently.
Debating on the motion ‘This House would assassinate Muammar Gaddafi’ as the Government, the team of Dimitri Jap Maan Tiing, Ann Marie Siaw Yee Wern and Joshua Teo Chin from CHMS No. 1 erupted in jubilation after they were announced as winners by chief adjudicator Dr Sucharit Pongprakyun.
The 11 adjudicators, or judges, in the final voted 6-5 to award the championship title to CHMS No.1, said Dr Sucharit.
Dimitri Jap Maan Tiing was also adjudged Best Debater in the final and received his award.
The team of Emmeline Chiew Shun Yi, Natalia Vera and Michelle Goh Wen Yi of SMK St Teresa took the runners up title.
In the junior category, SMK Green Road and SM Lodge debated on the motion ‘This House would ban race-based political parties’. Malachi Ting Jia Jing, Melanie Chan Pei Chiat and Wong Hui Mei proved the better team and were awarded the champions trophy while the SM Lodge team comprising Katherine Gumal, Celine Goh Yi Ling and Shannon Leonora Lim collected the runner up title.
SMK Green Road’s Wong Hui Mei was adjudged best debater in this category.
Meanwhile, Kolej Tun Datu Haji Bujang from Miri, participating in the debate for the first time, won the Most Promising Team Award after successfully entering into the Quarter Finals.
Bill Hii Khin Chiew of SMK Batu Lintang was the Best English Speaker in the senior category while Rachel Jong Yu Shuen of SMK St Teresa took the award in the junior category.
Datin Evelyn Ritikos, the Principal Assistant Director, Sarawak Education Department who was Guest of Honour at the award ceremony, at her speech said she was impressed with the level of confidence shown by the participants and commended all involved in organising and participating in the event.
She also expressed the department’s hope that other institutions of higher learning will emulate Swinburne Sarawak’s example in organising events such as this annual debate.
A total of 24 schools represented by 68 teams competed in the tournament. This was also the first time schools from other towns took part in the six-year history of the tournament: three secondary schools from Miri and two from Sibu.
Adjudicators, or judges, comprised mainly Swinburne Sarawak lecturers as well as senior members of the university’s Debaters’ Club, participating school teachers and some independent individuals with debating backgrounds.
The chief adjudicator was Dr Sucharit Pongprakyun from Kota Kinabalu, an experienced debater since his years as an undergraduate at Universiti Putra Malaysia. He was assisted by his former debate opponent Irzal Kamal Helme from the International Islamic University, Kuala Lumpur.