KUCHING – SMK Batu Lintang and SMK Lutong have emerged as Senior and Junior Champions respectively of the 20th Swinburne Sarawak Inter-School Debating Championship (SSIDC), held from 18 to 21 August 2025 at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus.
In the Senior Category, SMK Batu Lintang defeated SMK Maong on a motion that certainly resonated with the youngsters gathered at Swinburne Sarawak’s Lecture Theatre to watch the climax of the four-day tournament. The crowd’s interactions were robust throughout the debate as the teams argued on the motion “This House opposes the resurgence of ‘emo culture’ in the entertainment industry”.
In the Junior Category, SMK Lutong won the debate against SMK Lodge, on the proposition side for the motion “This House would criminalise the development of AI weapon systems”.
The milestone 20th iteration of SSIDC, one of the largest English debating tournaments for secondary schools nationwide, welcomed more than 300 secondary school students and teachers from all over the country as well as two teams from Jakarta.
Some 282 students from 27 schools participated in the tournament, coming from as far as SMK Limbang, Kolej Yayasan Saad Melaka, and the British School Jakarta in Indonesia. They were vying not just for the title of Champion or Runners-Up in both categories but also for awards that recognise the efforts of debaters such as the Most Promising Team and the Most Improved Team.
“These two awards show clearly how important the learning experience is for us here at Swinburne,” says Dr Christina Yin, the founding advisor of the tournament. “It’s not just about the glory of becoming Champions, it’s about learning and improving, thinking clearly and critically, and delivering strong and coherent arguments on a very public platform. What a privilege it’s been all these years, bringing students together from all over the state, other parts of the country, and even the region to Swinburne Sarawak. I truly hope this legacy continues for another 20 years!”
Other awards included Best Overall Debater in the Final, Top 5 Debaters in the Preliminary Rounds, and the Best Sarawakian Team.
The tournament format was Asian Parliamentary Style and, to give younger debaters a fair chance, the teams were divided into Junior (Forms 1-3) and Senior (4-5) categories. The four-day event featured two days of six preliminary rounds that all debaters participated in, followed by knockout rounds on Day 3 and finals for both categories on Day 4.
This year’s themes were Culture, Economy, Education, Environment, International Relations, Law and Order, Malaysia, Media/Cinema, Sports, Technology, and Youth/Society. Students prepared by reading widely and coming up with debatable topics that might be presented as motions during the tournament.
This year’s Chief Adjudicator, Kasun Illankoon, was himself a novice debater when he first joined Swinburne in 2008. Throughout his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Kasun served as President of the Swinburne Debaters’ Club twice and returned over the years to adjudicate, including as Deputy Chief Adjudicator in 2023 and 2024.
“The 20th SSIDC is a testament to the lasting impact this competition has had on schools, students, and the debating community in the region. Having been part of 10 previous editions, I am proud to see how far it has come in nurturing confident, articulate, and thoughtful speakers. As Chief Adjudicator this year, I’m privileged to be part of the next chapter in this remarkable journey,” said Kasun.
The Junior Champion team from SMK Lutong, along with (back row, from left) Kasun Illankoon, Cikgu Agnes Molly anak Eddie Saga, and Ir Professor Lau Hieng Ho.
The Swinburne Debaters’ Club is one of Swinburne Sarawak’s oldest student clubs and has consistently organised this debating tournament since 2006 – even during the pandemic, hosting SSIDC on various online platforms in 2021 and 2022.
“It is truly an extraordinary feat that this is the 20th year that the Swinburne Debaters’ Club is hosting the Swinburne Sarawak Inter-School Debating Championship. From the video we watched, I can see that this debate tournament has meant so much to so many of our Swinburne alumni, and to the students who have come here to debate as secondary school students through the years. I believe all of us were touched to see the debaters through the years speaking from their hearts,” remarked Swinburne Sarawak’s Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer Ir Professor Lau Hieng Ho.
SSIDC’s Gold sponsor this year was the Natural Resources and Environment Board while the Silver sponsors were the English Language Centre, Hock Seng Lee, and John’s Pie.
The Award Presentation Ceremony was graced by Cikgu Agnes Molly anak Eddie Saga, Assistant Director, Student Development Section, Sarawak State Education Department, representing the Director of the Sarawak State Education Department.
Last year’s Senior Champion team was St Joseph’s Private School, defeating SM Lodge on the motion “This House supports AI romantic relationships”, while the Junior Champion team was Kolej Yayasan Saad Melaka, defeating Kolej Datu Patinggi Abang Haji Abdillah in a close debate on the motion “This House would forgive all debts of individuals who have legally retired”.
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