KUCHING: Angkatan Zaman Mansang (AZAM) Sarawak will organise the inaugural Premier of Sarawak Debate Challenge Cup 2026 from August 14 to 18 at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak Branch, bringing together 18 university debate teams from across Malaysia to strengthen youth leadership, critical thinking and communication skills.
Chairman of the Organising Committee and AZAM Sarawak’s Chief Executive Officer, Ali Suhaili, said the competition reflects the organisation’s commitment to providing a high-impact platform for youth development through intellectual discourse, leadership and communication.
The tournament, themed ‘Engaging Minds, Advancing Sarawak’, aims to nurture university students who can think critically, argue professionally, and respect diverse viewpoints while discussing contemporary issues affecting the state.
“This competition is more than a search for the best debating team. It is designed to produce graduates who are better prepared to face future challenges and contribute meaningfully to Sarawak’s development,” he said.
The English-language competition will adopt the Asian Parliamentary Debate format and feature 18 teams, each comprising four members, with at least three Sarawakians and one optional non-Sarawakian or international student currently studying in Sarawak. Teams will compete in four preliminary rounds before advancing to the quarter-finals, semi-finals and grand final.
Participating institutions include Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, Curtin University Malaysia, University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Sarawak Campus, I-CATS University College, and several teacher education institutes.
Ali said participants would not only compete in debate rounds but also attend workshops, training sessions and mentoring programmes conducted by experienced adjudicators to enhance their public speaking, analytical reasoning and leadership capabilities.
Competition motions will focus on Sarawak’s development agenda and the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, encouraging students to research and debate issues relating to economic growth, education, innovation, environmental sustainability, technology and human capital development.
Ali expressed appreciation to UiTM Sarawak Branch for serving as the host institution, as well as sponsors, strategic partners, adjudicators, volunteers and the media for supporting the inaugural programme.
He also voiced hope that the competition would evolve into a prestigious annual event for higher education institutions in Sarawak while cultivating a new generation of articulate, responsible and forward-thinking youth leaders.
“We hope the Premier of Sarawak Debate Challenge Cup will become a platform to celebrate intellectual excellence, strengthen a healthy culture of dialogue and develop quality young leaders for Sarawak’s future,” he said.
According to AZAM Sarawak, the programme is expected to strengthen participants’ debating, research and public speaking skills, increase awareness of Sarawak’s development priorities, foster collaboration among universities and establish a recognised platform for intellectual engagement within the state.
Over time, it also aims to contribute to a stronger debate and public speaking ecosystem in Sarawak.
