Adjudicatiors Neoh Lean Wern and Leow Kuan Kiat

  

A Lively Fiesta of Debates

      -      GPD 1/2017

On Friday 30^th March and Saturday 1^st April 2017, Tenby Schools Ipoh hosted the biannual Global Perspectives Debates. The event was organized and managed   by the Sixth Form Student Union under the auspices of Tenby Schools Ipoh. A huge heartfelt thank you and appreciation goes to the Sixth Form Student Union President Manpreet Kaur and the Convenor of the event, Stephanie Cheah Hsui En, along with their team for doing an excellent and efficient job at event management.

The bi-annual gathering of  debate enthusiasts from  the Northern states of Peninsular Malaysia

The Global Perspectives Debates is a tradition of Tenby Schools Ipoh. It was wonderful to see over 120 debate enthusiasts from various schools in Ipoh participating in this event. 

             “The Global Perspectives Debates is an occasion for friendly intellectual and social interaction between like-minded students from various schools,“ remarked Stephanie Cheah whose team of Sixth Formers manned the organising committee. “It was an invaluable organizational experience for us all. We had to do much planning and coordination as well as to conduct briefings for the various event management sub-teams.”    

There are three major debating competitions in Ipoh. These are the Rotary Club Debates, the Dato’ Wira Cup Parliamentary Debates and the Tenby Global Perspectives Debates. Together these three form the staple debating agenda in the Kinta Valley every year. The Rotary Club Debates have been going on for 52 years.while the Global Perspectives Debates are now in their 12^th year.

The GPD 1/ 2017 Secretariat manned by our Sixth Formers

“We pledge to make the Global Perspectives Debates remain an exciting social and cultural event for young people in Ipoh,” declared Daniel Chua Vice President of the Sixth Form Students Union. “It is wonderful for young debate enthusiasts to meet and sharpen one another’s oratorical skills.” 

The topics debated this session included some topical ones as well as the evergreen ones. Among the six topics debates, the most hotly debated ones were:

1. “That refugees are an asset to the host country.”

2. “That the world needs the USA.”

3. “That the rose is better than the potato.”

SMK Sam Tet,Ipoh

SMK Ave Maria Convent

“What we really appreciate is the opportunity for teams to debate four rounds over two days instead of being eliminated if they fail Round 1,” remarked Mrs Jeyanth Hulda of SMK Aver Maria Convent. Ipoh. Ms Nurmunira Mohktar of Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman,Ipoh, echoed similar sentiments: “ The Tenby GP Debates are an excellent training ground for our debaters. Every year we make it a point to field at least two teams to groom our debating squad.” The schools which took part this year were the following:1. SMK Ave Maria Convent,Ipoh ( 3 teams)2. SMK Sam Tet,Ipoh (4 teams)

3. Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman,Ipoh (3 teams)

4. SMK Main Convent,Ipoh (1 team)

5. Poi Lam Private School,Ipoh (4 teams)

6. Wesley Methodist School,Ipoh (2 teams)

7. West Lake International School,Kampar (1 team)

8. Tenby Schools Ipoh (6 teams)

Wesley Methodist School,Ipoh

 There was never an idle moment during the competition. Even after the top eight teams were preparing for the semi-finals, there was a “filler” debate for the eliminated teams.. “Everyone was free to join and share their opinions as it was not part of the finals. Even our teachers joined in,” enthused Thomas Parkinson, a Tenby debater.  As a whole, this debate was a fun way to share our perspectives with students from our fellow Ipoh schools.

The final debate was judged by a three-member panel of external judges:

1 Mr Arthur Yeong (Advocate & Solicitor) 

2 Mr Edwin Siebel (Advocate & Solicitor)

3 Mrs Nalini Achutan Nair ( former School Principal)

Westlake International School,Kampar

The first place went to Heng Yik Lim and Chong Zheng Yang of Poi Lam High School. The 2^nd,3^rd and 4^th places all went to our very own teams from Tenby  Schools Ipoh . The Best Speaker Award went to Dhanya Laxmi Nantha Kumar, also our very own student. Congratulations  to these students as well as all debaters for their hard work and dedication to the important art of debating.

Adjudicators Shannya Kaur Dhalliwal (L) and Kaio Mauricio Fiock Da Silva 

 We would again like to thank all those involved in the Global Perspectives Debates for making the event as successful as it was and we hope to see your participation in the next Global Perspectives Debates in  September  2017.

We wish to place on record our heartfelt appreciation of the moral support, endorsement and logistical back-up given by Ms Jane Kuok (Campus Principal) , Mr Richard Davidson (Head of International Secondary) and Mr Jack Wong (Head of National School).

A special word of thanks to Mr Louis Rozario Doss (Head of Sixth Form) and Ms Mangalespary Balasundaram (Advisor) for their total commitment and support for the Global Perspectives Debates!

Tenby teammates Ryan Hor and Dhanya Laxmi Nantha Kumar

Written by:

Mohammad Ridzuan Yahya Mat Som ( Year 12S)

Vice President, Sixth Form Students Union

Co-Convenor, Global Perspectives Debates 1/2017

Edited by:

Scott Leow Kuan Kiat (Y13)