PUTRAJAYA, Sept 22 (Bernama) — Debate competitions are not just platforms for public speaking, but also an important medium for shaping student success by strengthening potential, self-confidence and good language proficiency, said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.
She said that the organisation of the national-level Education Minister’s Cup Generasi MADANI Debate 2025, held in conjunction with the National Language Month celebration as part of the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) National Language Decade 2025, proves the ability of the younger generation to master the Malay language effectively and competently.
“These children have shown incredibly outstanding commitment and certainly have the potential and achievements that I am very proud of. Until today, I am very proud of these children,” she said when officiating the Bulan Bahasa Bersempena Dekad Bahasa Kebangsaan KPM 2025 and the national-level PETAH KPM 2025 ceremony held here today.
Regarding the PETAH KPM, Fadhlina said that each component in the acronym PETAH carries an important role, namely P for Courteous Speech, E (Creative Expression), T (Grammatical Syntax), A (Clear Articulation) and H (Solid Arguments).
She said that organising such events is in line with the commitment of the MOE and the MADANI Government to empower the national language while simultaneously shaping a MADANI generation that is knowledgeable, competitive and possesses leadership skills.
In a press conference, Fadhlina said PETAH will continue as an annual agenda of the MOE and MADANI Debate Academy, which is being established in stages at all fully residential schools (SBP), and will be expanded to provide more participation opportunities for students nationwide.
She said the MADANI Debate Academy will serve as a structured training platform to produce more new talent in the fields of debate, oratory and public speaking, in line with efforts to build leadership and critical thinking skills among the younger generation.
Fadhlina also expressed her appreciation to the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) for their strategic cooperation in making the programme a success, which she said was an important platform for strengthening the dignity of the Malay language as the language of knowledge and unity.
At the same time, she expressed congratulations to all participants and hoped that other participants would increase the momentum in the upcoming edition.
Meanwhile, the winning team from Sabah, comprising six female students, in the 2025 National Level MADANI Generation Debate Competition Minister’s of Education Cup, described the victory as unexpected.
Sharing her experience, Noraeezma Mada Ali Joharie, 16, from SMK Tawau said the success was the result of the team members’ hard work and guidance from teachers and coaches.
“This is a victory we didn’t expect because initially we thought we would only make it to the semi-finals, but by God’s grace, we reached the final.”
“Actually, our preparations were very limited, and on top of that, Sabah recently experienced a (power) blackout. It was difficult for us to practice, but I’m grateful because I have a good team, good teachers, and coaches who are excellent at training us, which qualified us to win today,” she said.
Regarding strategy, she said her team prioritised concept development and argument delivery because they believed that strong arguments are the strength of every presentation in convincing the judges.
Other members of the team were Anas Humairah Suwardi, 15, Anis Malaeka Husni, 15, and Nur Safa Natasya Aaharuddin, 15.
Two other students, both 16 years old, were from SM Sains Sabah, namely Nur Aisyah Jasrin and Siti Ellysha Jaimis.
Besides the trophies, the winning team was presented with a cheque of RM12,000 sponsored by DBP.
— BERNAMA
BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; www.bernama.com; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies.
Follow us on social media :
Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio
Twitter : @bernama.com, @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio
Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial
TikTok : @bernamaofficial
