KUCHING – Defending champion SMK Sri Permata retained the Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus inter-school debating title after trouncing the high school of University Immaculate Conception of the Philippines, recently.
The Sri Permata team debated as the government on the motion “This House believes that the United States should suspend supporting Saudi Arabia if it is serious about constructing a winning strategy to defeat ISIS and Al-Qaeda”.
Izanna Binti Azuddin, Kishen Sivabalan and Siddharta Vidyasagar Adaikalaraj from the Peninsular Malaysia secondary school were adjudged the stronger team by the panel of adjudicators who comprised representatives from various institutions of higher learning.
Kishen Sivabalan was named best debater in the final round.
The team of Jhane Inah Jandayan, Mary Gabrielle Barluando and Melvin Gabriel Matus from University of Immaculate Conception took the runner-up title. This is the first time the school from the Philippines took part in the championship.
The champions, runner-up and two semi-finalist teams were also presented with the Swinburne Sarawak Engagement Awards. The recipients of the award will be eligible to enrol on Swinburne Sarawak’s foundation courses with bursaries ranging from RM3,000 to RM4,500 each, in the next three years.
The “Best Speaker of English” was a tie between Ivine Ehtan Nixon of SMK St Joseph Team A and Ting Wei from Lodge International Team A.
St Joseph’s Private School Team E won the “Most Promising Team” title.
Meanwhile, tied in first place, the “Overall Best Debater” in the preliminary rounds was awarded to Kishen Sivabalan and Seaan Manual Pillay from SMK Sri Permata in Selangor.
In the junior category, SM Sains Kuching Utara’s trio of Ariz Syaqil Bin Aizuddin, Mohd Hasbul Hadi Bin Mohamad Hafizzudin and Nazmi Bin Ahmad Nizar were crowned champions after beating Kolej Yayasan Saad of Malacca’s team of Kuhan a/l Kartikeyyen, Muhammad Haniff Bin Adzmir and Siti Maryam Binti Nor Azamin.
Muiz Zafri Bin Mustamir of Kolej Yayasan Saad Team B was awarded “Best Speaker of English” in the junior category.
The “Overall Best Debater” in the preliminary rounds of the junior category went to Kuberan Hansrajh from Nobel Internatioanl School Team C, Selangor.
SMK Batu Lintang Team D was named the most promising team.
A total of 89 teams from 33 schools competed for the championship trophy.