MELAKA, Oct 20 — The Malay language must be consistently upheld without neglecting English proficiency among the younger generation, said Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek.
She said efforts to strengthen the language should be pursued through various platforms, including public speaking competitions, which provide higher education students with opportunities to express their views through well-reasoned, knowledge-based arguments.
“The policy of upholding the Malay language while strengthening English proficiency is crucial to the country.
“We must remain consistent in ensuring that the use, enrichment and wider adoption of the Malay language remain part of the national agenda,” she said at the final of the Arena Wacana Aspirasi Mahasiswa oratory competition, held in conjunction with the 2026 National Language Decade (DBK), at Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) in Durian Tunggal here today.
The competition was won by Putra Haikal Ikhwansyah Nafarulzian, a third-year Bachelor of Laws with Honours student at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), who took home RM1,000 in prize money.
Second place went to Yang Asyraf Asyran Yang Rashidi, a final-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering Technology (Industrial Chemical Process) at Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), who received RM800.
Fadhlina said oratory competitions not only encouraged the continued use of the national language but also helped enrich vocabulary and improve language skills among the public.
She added that such competitions played an important role in fostering a culture of knowledge, particularly by teaching young people to express their views clearly, respectfully and in a well-structured manner, supported by sound arguments. — Bernama