National oratory competition inculcates spirit of patriotism - Melaka CM

He said he welcomed the idea of Melaka Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Mohd Ali Rustam to organise the competition because the spirit of patriotism was seen to be increasingly eroded.

He said that last year the competition was held at the state level, attracting 203 participants in four categories - public, higher education institutions, secondary schools and primary schools.

"Because of the excellence achieved, this year, I was told, Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Seri Setia himself suggested that the oratory competition be held at the national level with participation open to all Malaysians.

"With the strong support and cooperation of the National Unity Ministry in organising this competition, which has added a new category for non-Malays, I was told by the secretariat that it has succeeded in attracting 970 talented orators from throughout the country," he added.

He said this in his welcoming address in conjunction with the finals of the PPRN which were conducted virtually here today.

Also present were Tun Mohd Ali and state Unity, Community Relations, Manpower and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Ismail Othman, who is joint chairman of PPRN.

The national-level competition is themed "The Rukun Negara as a Principle of Unity for the Success and Stability of the People".

In the finals, 25 participants in five categories - public, non-Malays, higher education institutions, secondary schools and primary schools, were vying for cash prizes ranging from RM300 to RM5,000.

Meanwhile, Ismail, when met after the competition, said that the state government is planning to turn PPRN into an annual event.

He said this year's competition attracted 970 participants, clearly demonstrated that oratory still has a place among the community regardless of age and race.

"This competition should continue to be organised, to uphold the five principles of the Rukun Negara and at the same time, to create understanding, practice and improve the use of Bahasa Melayu in the daily life of our multi-racial society.

"Therefore, we hope that in the future more will participate in this competition. We also hope that by next year it can be conducted face to face, especially after all the people have been vaccinated and the pandemic situation has eased," he said.

Ismail said improvements would also be made in terms of organising the competition according to the suitability of the situation and be more prepared if the competition had to be conducted virtually again in the future.

"We acknowledge there are some problems including the participant's audio is less clear as it may be recorded in an unsuitable room or environment. So, we will improve on these things in the future," he said.