Five secondary schools from Sarikei – SMK Sarikei Baru, SMK Tinggi Sarikei, SMK Bandar Sarikei, SMK Sungai Paoh and the host school, SMK St Anthony, each sent two teams to the competition where teams received intensive training and competitive debate exposure in preparation for the competition. This training aligns with Swinburne’s mission to empower and offer opportunities for growth, leadership and communication skills.
The event began with an officiating ceremony attended by representatives from the Sarikei District Education office and SMK St Anthony’s leadership team. In his welcoming speech, Dr James ChunHan Loi, Advisor, Swinburne’s Debaters’ Club, encouraged students to embrace English-language debating as a tool for personal and intellectual growth. He also reaffirmed Swinburne’s commitment to supporting students across Sarawak in their pursuit of globally recognised, quality education.
The training session, led by Adrian Kamarn Anak Ignatius Nyaleng and members of the Swinburne Debaters’ Club, covered debate fundamentals, argument structuring, and strategies for effective rebuttals. Participants were also treated to a debate demonstration where advanced debate techniques and strategic engagement during a debate were showcased. This allowed the students to gain practical insights into high-level debating.
Participants were all ears during the workshop
The competition featured three preliminary rounds, semi-finals, and a grand finale. The motions covered topics on education, health, youth, sports, and the environment. Throughout the event, adjudicators provided constructive feedback, ensuring that students not only competed but also learned and improved their debating skills with every round.
SM Sarikei Baru Team A emerged as the champion, marking a proud moment for the young debaters in the team.
The success of this event underscores the growing interest in debating among secondary schools in Sarawak. Recognising this potential, Swinburne Sarawak is extending to compete at the upcoming Swinburne Sarawak Inter-school Debating Championship (SSIDC) in August 2025.
As the President of the Swinburne Debaters’ Club, Adrian encourages schools to participate in SSIDC, stating “Schools participating in our annual debating championship experience a whole new world of debate. It is the main gateway for Sarawakian schools to try out a debate competition without a hefty price tag.”
A national-level debate competition and one of the highlights of Swinburne Sarawak’s 25th Anniversary celebrations, the annual SSIDC provides students with the opportunity to compete against top debaters from across Malaysia. The championship continues to be a pathway for students to refine their communication skills, experience university-level discourse, and access to high-quality debate competitions without financial barriers. This reinforces Swinburne Sarawak’s commitment to education accessibility and talent development.
For more information on Swinburne Sarawak, visit its website, Facebook page (@swinburnesarawak), Instagram page (@swinburnesarawak), Twitter page (@Swinburne_Swk), TikTok page (@swinburnesarawak) or YouTube channel (Swinburne Sarawak).