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SMK Lutong wins Swinburne Sarawak inter-school debate

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The senior category winners.

KUCHING: SMK Lutong Miri triumphed over St Joseph’s Private School to clinch the 18th Swinburne Sarawak Inter-School Debating Championship (SSIDC) 2023 at Swinburne Sarawak University, today (Feb 2).

The senior category (form four and five) grand final debate motion ‘This House Would (THW) Subsidise Cosmetic Surgery’ lasted for 60 minutes.

SMK Lutong consisting of Andrea Ong Li Wei, Kalpana Murugayah and Ryan Foh Jing Yee defeated St Joseph’s Private School’s Daphne Ngu Dai Ning, Michelle Ting Chiong Sung and Rachel Chai Xin Ru with a 6-3 split decision by the adjudicators.

In the junior category (form one to three), Kolej Yayasan Saad Melaka comprising Daania Aaleysha Khairudin, Eric Fazli Faiz Hussin and Tuah Nur Azman defeated SMK Lutong’s Badzlin Balqis Bahtair, Rachel Kok Kah-Ern and Vellan Yue Yaang on the motion of ‘This House Supports The Use of Paid Protestors in Feminist Protests’.

The four-day debate from Jan 30 to Feb 2 saw 64 teams taking part.

Following that, 23 schools were represented by four schools from Peninsular Malaysia, namely Kolej Yayasan Saad Melaka, SM Sains Kota Tinggi, Johor, SM Sains Rembau, Negeri Sembilan and SMJK Sin Min, Kedah. Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School also flew in to participate. Wifmi Academy Sintang from Indonesia also took part in this year’s event.

The junior category winners

In Sarawak, the majority teams were from Kuching while others came from Kolej Tun Datu Tuanku Haji Bujang in Miri, SMK Chung Hua Miri and SMK Lutong in Miri, MRSM Mukah in Mukah and SMK St Anthony in Sarikei.

Endorsed by the Ministry of Education (MoE), SSIDC is the largest English debating championship in Borneo.

Present at the grand finals was Swinburne Sarawak’s Executive Dean for Academics, Prof Sim Kwan Yong who commended the students who took part in the debate, saying that the critical thinking and oratory skills they were developing would help them in their university studies and in their future careers.

Sim was representing Pro Vice-Chancellor and chief executive officer Prof Lau Hieng Ho.

This year’s chief adjudicator, Dr Stanley Nwobodo, said he was glad to see students pushing themselves to the hilt.

“It brings their true debating spirit to the fore,” he said.

Present were Zamzaitul Akmal Hisham Ahmad, deputy director of student development sector from the Sarawak State Education Department and Datin Dr Valerie Mashman, director of English Language Centre.