SMALLHB Best Malay Debaters
By Zasika Musdi &Arnie PDH Ishak

Bandar Seri Begawan - Sekolah Menengah Arab Laki-Laki Hassanal Bolkiah (SMALLHB) emerged as the champion of the Malay Debate Competition for Secondary Schools, Colleges and Private Schools. It was held yesterday at Dewan Raya, RTB.

Their opposition to the notion "Keruntuhan Akhlak Di Kalangan Belia Berpunca Dari pada Pengaruh Negatif Daripada Teknologi Maklumat" (The Deterioration ofYouths' Morals and Behaviours due to the Negative Influence of Information Technology) earned them a landslide win of 4:1 over the proposition from Mahad Islam Brunei, the 1st runner-up of the competition.

Hazimah binti Haji Aji from Lower Six of Sekolah Menengah Arab Laki-Laki Hassanal Bolkiah, the overall Best Speaker of the competition said she was very happy to have won the debate as well as the best speaker award after all the hard work.

She added that this was the first time she participated in a Malay debate after having only participated in Arabic public speaking competitions the previous year. She said her family, classmates and especially teachers played a big role in inspiring her to join the debate team.

The competition, the 36th of its kind, was organised by the Co-Curriculum Education Department under the Ministry of Education, and was attended by Dato Paduka Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Mohiddin, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

In his speech, the Chairman Awg Haji Kassim bin Mohd Yassin, principal of the Sayyidina Othman Secondary School in Tutong said, "This Malay Debate Competition for secondary schools, colleges and private schools is an annual event sponsored by the Co-Curriculum Department in cooperation with the host school.

"The objectives of the competition are to encourage students to be more articulate speakers and to search for talented students to represent the country in regional and international debate competitions.

"This year, 32 schools and colleges from around the country competed in the competition, and the preliminary rounds were held at the host school, Sayyidina Othman Secondary School in Tutong," he added.

During yesterday's finals, the opposition spoke on how technology cannot be faulted for the degradation of youths' minds and that it is all according to their own individual choice.

The students argued that if the youth has strong morals, the negative environmental pressures would not sway them. They also added that parents also play a significant role in making sure that youths are not influenced negatively. E-government and e-muslim initiatives would not exist either if not for information technology (IT) was another point they made. Only pessimists point the finger and say that IT is a negative influence.

The proposition, on the other hand, countered by saying how religion has been misunderstood via the Internet and TV and how these have badly influenced children's behaviour and language. History has shown that IT has destroyed the credibility of youths, an example is through MIRC, and it has influenced them to embrace inappropriate attires that oppose Islamic standards.

Before announcing the winners, the chief adjudicator pointed out that both teams were wholehearted in their approach to the debate; they gave out facts with confidence, used different language styles, and delivered with high spirit. This is the reality of our nation's youth, she said, "Having the courage to speak in a public venue, expressing ideas and opinions in their debate."

However, she added, the teams did not give their full attention on the topic at hand and some of the points made were quite irrelevant. The topic did not focus on events in Brunei only, she said, but in a wider sense.

She continued by saying that the important factors in giving out points included the content of the debate, pronunciations, gestures, and manners as well as the use of inappropriate words or slang.

She hoped the winners would be more motivated in future debates, and for the less fortunate, "This doesn't mean the end of your journey." -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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