KUCHING: Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports, Snowdan Lawan has allocated RM10,000 for next year’s Pekit Pidato Iban (Iban Speech Contest) UB-AEDIL.
He said this in his speech during the inaugural Pekit Pidato Iban jointly organised by Utusan Borneo (UB) and Association For the Educational Development of Iban Language (AEDIL) held at Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce Auditorium, IPG Batu Lintang here, yesterday.
“Besides, I would also like to encourage and motivate media non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to hold more programme and awareness events to protect, preserve and empower the Iban language even in the midst of the government promoting the mastering of the English language.
“Furthermore, this will also enhance the Iban language and protect it as it is the identity of the Iban race,” he pointed out.
Snowdan also said that he was thankful that other races have also mastered and using the Iban language as a tool of communication and business in the semi urban and rural areas which is a factor of unity and racial harmony.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Pekit Pidato Iban UB-AEDIL 2017, Churchill Edward Drem said that UB-AEDIL are planning to hold the competition again next year with slight modification and improvement.
“We aim to include the veteran category in the hope of getting varied participants and drawing bigger crowd,” he added.
Three categories were contested during the Pekit Pidato Iban UB-AEDIL 2017 yesterday namely the secondary school category, university/tertiary institutions category and Under 45 years old open category.
The champion of the secondary school category was Tracy Layau William who brought home RM1,500 and a trophy while the champion of the university/tertiary institutions category was Michale Bandang who brought home RM2,000 and a trophy.
For the Under 45 years old category, the champion was Martin Dinil who brought home RM2,000 and a trophy.
