KUCHING: SMK Batu Lintang and SMK Lutong are crowned champions at 20th Swinburne Sarawak Inter-School Debating Championship (SSIDC).
SMK Batu Lintang and SMK Lutong emerged as Senior and Junior Champions respectively at the 20th Swinburne Sarawak Inter-School Debating Championship (SSIDC), held from August 18 to 21 at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus.
In the Senior Category, SMK Batu Lintang defeated SMK Maong in a highly engaging debate on the motion ‘This House opposes the resurgence of ’emo culture’ in the entertainment industry’.
The motion resonated with the audience of young debaters and spectators in the Lecture Theatre as the teams passionately argued their positions.
The lively interaction from the crowd demonstrated the strong engagement the debate sparked, marking a thrilling finale to the four-day event.
Meanwhile, in the Junior Category, SMK Lutong emerged victorious against SMK Lodge, arguing in favour of the motion ‘This House would criminalise the development of AI weapon systems’.
The win solidified SMK Lutong’s status as champions in their category.
The 20th iteration of SSIDC, one of Malaysia’s largest English debating tournaments for secondary schools, attracted over 300 students and teachers from across Malaysia, including two teams from Jakarta.
A total of 282 students from 27 schools participated in the event, with participants coming from as far as SMK Limbang, Kolej Yayasan Saad Melaka, and the British School Jakarta.
The founding adviser of the tournament, Dr Christina Yin, emphasised that the event was not just about winning but about the learning journey and improving skills in critical thinking and public speaking.
“It’s about thinking clearly and critically, delivering strong and coherent arguments on a very public platform,” she said.
Other awards at the tournament included the Best Overall Debater in the Final, Top 5 Debaters in the Preliminary Rounds, and the Best Sarawakian Team.
The tournament followed the Asian Parliamentary Style format, featuring six preliminary rounds and knockout stages, culminating in the finals for both Senior and Junior categories.
Kasun Illankoon, this year’s chief adjudicator and a former debater from Swinburne, shared his pride in the tournament’s impact on students.
“Having been part of 10 previous editions, I am proud to see how far it has come in nurturing confident, articulate, and thoughtful speakers,” he said.
Swinburne Debaters’ Club, the tournament’s organiser, has consistently hosted SSIDC since 2006, even during the pandemic, hosting online tournaments in 2021 and 2022.
The Gold sponsor of this year’s SSIDC was the Natural Resources and Environment Board, while the Silver sponsors included the English Language Centre, Hock Seng Lee, and John’s Pie.
The award ceremony was attended by Cikgu Agnes Molly Eddie Saga, assistant director of the Student Development Section, Sarawak State Education Department, representing the director of the Sarawak State Education Department.
For more information on Swinburne Sarawak, visit their official website and social media pages.
