Debate-PPM

The Prime Minister’s Challenge Trophy

Debate Competition

(Written by, Ms Carolyn Soo (English Language teacher), TKC Debate Coordinator 2006)

The annual residential school “Hari Kecemerlangan” is an awaited event for all residential schools in Malaysia. This is not just a time where the principals gather for meetings. It is also the time where wits and muscles meet – the prestigious debate and basketball competitions.

Year in and year out, participants’ reminisce over their beautiful moments of victory and ugly moments of defeat, and the true winners prevail with the glory and knowledge that they may have lost the war but won the battle.

The TKC debaters came with nothing but a dream...

The tear that trickled down her face in the bus ride all the way home, I realize the impact the competition must have had on her. She was silent and fragile for a big bubbly debater… Twenty-nine years ago this day, the Malay language debaters were crowned champions. Since then, the fire and zeal of returning that glory back to TKC has been the burning desire of the Malay language debaters. The agony of returning yet another year without the trophy was a torture beyond the lines of dignity. Nobody can predict the future. Our intentions may have been good, but the trophy is not yet ours to attain…

Although the English language debaters shared the same predicament of the Malay language debaters. At the preliminary, it was clear that our debaters were fully charged with Aainaa Kamila and her witty antics; we were winning and winning and winning… basking in our sweet victory… Nadia Sallehin was truly the anchor who outdid and outwit our opponents…Our Siti Nursaadah was a bulldozer, surviving under all that pressure and pretty little Arina Md Izzudin was smiling from ear to ear. They were confident and convincing and the crowds were cheering…Tuan Sheikh, Dr Sallehin’s family and our most loyal supporter, our beloved principal, YM Tengku Azuan Tengku Mohamed.

The judges were stunned.

These very same set of judges who had ranked them 25th, just a few months back at the secondary school debate held at the International Islamic University, moved them all the way up 8th position!

Behind the scene, weeks before the competition, the debaters were in despair sitting for their midyear examination. It was the last paper Physics two days before their journey to Kuantan for the competition. They slaved for their examination and juggled that with their debate preparations, a marathon with their dear instructor, fondly known as Uncle Jes and their wonderful Kakak Ruby Ahmad as well as at the eleventh hour, the PTA member Datuk Shaifuddin whose forte is debating.


All in all, it was so special for the TKC debaters to have Kakak Ruby by their side, giving them pointers and invaluable advice.

A lady with a mission, she made the debaters feel the magic of being a TKCian.

Kakak Ruby was the much needed 'glue' as she rallied support. TKCians of the past and present blended in a moment in time and even TKCians from all over the world seemed to unite as the emails poured in from Canada, USA, UK and etc. The love of one TKCian to another is truly a wonderful sculpture carved in spirit and in flesh...

“Once a TKCian, Always a TKCian”.