GEORGE TOWN: A 16-year-old teenager was declared the best debater in the ‘Debaton Parliament 2019’ (Youth) at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) here yesterday.
Nurul Rifayah Muhammad Iqbal obtained 380 votes, winning over older debaters aged between 18 and 25 years.
“I did not expect to be the best debater as the others are older and more experienced than I. As a student, it was not easy for me to compete against them.
“This is my opportunity to show to others, especially the younger generation, not to let age be an obstacle,” she told reporters at the end of the debate yesterday.
A student in Sekolah Menengah Setiabudi, Nurul Rifayah said her idol in the world of debate was Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and she had followed his growth since he was a debater in Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA).
The debate session yesterday was the second of three in the Debaton Parlimen organised by Malaysiakini and the Malaysian Parliament, with the cooperation of the Education Ministry. It was chaired by Dewan Rakyat deputy Speaker, Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon.
Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chief compliance officer Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin described the Debaton Parlimen as a good effort to expose the younger generation to the process of policy and law-making.
“With the topic “Cyber Security and Privacy” the debate saw 24 participants battling it out, after getting the cooperation of the MCMC to obtain more information about the subject. – Bernama
