KUCHING – The Ministry of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development Sarawak (MEITD) and Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus have marked a significant milestone in their commitment to educational excellence and youth development with the successful organisation of the inaugural Sarawak English Public Speaking Challenge (SEPSC) 2026, the university’s first statewide English public speaking competition for secondary school students.
Co-organised by MEITD and Swinburne Sarawak, with the support of the Sarawak State Education Department (JPNS), the competition, held at the university’s campus on 6 and 7 August 2026, was established to provide a platform for young Sarawakians to strengthen their English communication, critical thinking, leadership, and public speaking skills.
SEPSC 2026 brought together 65 students from 15 secondary schools across the Kuching, Serian, Sibu, and Sarikei Divisions, demonstrating the growing enthusiasm among schools to nurture confident communicators and future leaders through healthy academic competition.
The competition culminated in a compelling final round, where the Top Five Finalists delivered their speeches before invited guests, education leaders, representatives from JPNS, Swinburne Sarawak, teachers, parents, and fellow participants.
The five finalists (front row, from left), Nicole, Celine, Lois, Inesh, and Lazarus, with Dr Les Anak Met (back row, sixth from left), Deputy Director, School Management Sector, JPNS; Ir Professor Lau Hieng Ho (back row, fourth from right), Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer, Swinburne Sarawak; university representatives; and judges.
Lois Lu Chen Zhi of SMK St Joseph emerged as Champion of the tournament, while Inesh Dhayal of SMK Batu Lintang was named First Runner-Up and Celine Voon Yih Jia of SMK Sungai Maong was named Second Runner-Up. Highly Commended awards were earned by Lazarus Carlos of SMK St Joseph and Nicole Au Jia Min of SMK Sungai Maong.
In addition, awards were presented in several other categories to recognise public speaking excellence, including Best Speaker (Prepared Speech), Best Speaker (Impromptu Speech), and Best Divisional Speaker for each of the four participating divisions.
On top of his First Runner-Up placing, Inesh also won Best Speaker (Prepared Speech), Best Speaker (Impromptu Speech), and Best Speaker (Kuching Division). Best Speaker awards for the Sibu, Serian, and Sarikei Divisions were presented to Cassendrea Chai Chen Yi of SMK Rosli Dhoby, Olivia Anak Bara of SMK Balai Ringin, and Danysha April Wong Kaixyn of SMK St Anthony respectively.
Reflecting on his experience, Lois said the competition had pushed him beyond his comfort zone and given him the opportunity to make new friends from diverse backgrounds. He encouraged other students to take up public speaking, remarking, “The more you fear it, the more you should face it, because growth does not happen when you stay in your comfort zone; it happens when you step beyond it. Personally, I love going on stage not because I am comfortable doing so, but because it challenges me to grow.”
Inesh described the tournament as an enriching experience and urged other students to embrace public speaking opportunities. He also emphasised the importance of public speaking as an essential life skill.
“Speaking is a skill that you use every day of your life. No matter what path you choose, you will still have to interact with others. Speaking and communication can only be developed when you practise them every single day. Those are very important skills,” he said.
SEPSC 2026 also saw participation from first-time public speakers, including Lazarus, who made it all the way to the finals despite it being his first foray into public speaking. He said, “What I learned was not to worry so much and not to be so vulnerable to pressure. Once we were done with our speeches, the experience was very rewarding.”
Lois Lu Chen Zhi of SMK St Joseph emerges as Champion of the inaugural SEPSC 2026.
Meanwhile, Danysha, winner of the Best Speaker (Sarikei Division) award, said, “I learned a lot through this competition, and my English has improved. I also made new friends who gave me new perspectives and ideas.”
Throughout SEPSC 2026, participants showcased their talents in two challenging categories – Prepared Speech and Impromptu Speech – requiring them not only to communicate effectively in English but also to think critically, organise ideas under pressure, and present persuasive arguments before a distinguished panel of judges.
The encouraging response from schools participating in this newly introduced statewide competition represented an important first step towards building a stronger platform in the years ahead.
The initiative was spearheaded by both Dr Christina Yin, Swinburne Sarawak’s Head of Department – Media and Communication, Senior Lecturer, and Advisor to the Swinburne Debaters’ Club, and Mohamad Safaree bin Sapuan, Assistant Manager for Government and Community Engagement, Swinburne Sarawak, with support from the organising committee, volunteers, judges, government agencies, and education partners who worked collectively to ensure the event’s success.
“This inaugural edition marks the beginning of a long-term commitment by Swinburne Sarawak to support English language proficiency and develop students who are confident, articulate, and capable of becoming future leaders.
“It is a fitting extension of these ideals, building on the university’s success in the Swinburne Sarawak Inter-School Debating Championship, which saw its 21st iteration this year drawing more than 300 participants, adjudicators, and teachers from over 30 schools including from other states and neighbouring Indonesia,” said Dr Christina Yin, one of the organising leads for SEPSC 2026.
Beyond recognising outstanding public speakers, the competition sought to inspire students to become effective communicators, confident leaders, and responsible citizens capable of contributing to Sarawak’s future development in an increasingly globalised world.
Inesh Dhayal of SMK Batu Lintang is named First Runner-Up of SEPSC 2026, also winning awards for Best Speaker (Prepared Speech), Best Speaker (Impromptu Speech), and Best Speaker (Kuching Division).
With MEITD’s approval, Swinburne Sarawak aspires to establish SEPSC as one of its signature annual outreach initiatives. Building on the lessons learned from this inaugural edition, the university aims to strengthen collaboration with MEITD, JPNS, schools, and education stakeholders to expand participation to all divisions of Sarawak and provide even more students with opportunities to develop essential communication and leadership skills.
The university extends its sincere appreciation to MEITD, JPNS, participating schools, principals, teachers, judges, volunteers, sponsors, and all partners whose invaluable support made SEPSC 2026 possible.
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