Johor Student Wins Hippo English Without Borders Qualifier In Doha

JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- Wan Harriz Wan Abdul Qayyum, a Year Four student at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Tasek, one of the schools under the Sekolah Rintis Bangsa Johor (SRBJ) initiative, emerged as champion of the 'Play-Off Qualifier Hippo English Without Borders 2026' in Doha, Qatar.

State Education and Information Committee Chairman Dr Muhammad Naqib Md Ghazali said the achievement earned Wan Harriz a place in the global finals, which will be held in Spoleto, Italy, in October.

He said the accomplishment was in line with SRBJ’s Core 1, which focuses on English Language proficiency and aims to produce students who excel academically while possessing confidence, communication skills and the ability to compete at the international level.

“This achievement aligns with SRBJ’s Core 1—English Language Proficiency—reinforcing the initiative's aspiration to produce students who are not only academically excellent but also confident, skilled communicators, and capable of competing at an international level," he said in a statement today.

Muhammad Naqib said the international English competition attracted over 90,000 participants aged between six and 19 from more than 70 countries.

He added that another Johor pupil, Aaron Yung Wayze of Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Sin Hwa, also achieved success by winning the Asia-Pacific Continental Round of the 14th Hippo English Without Borders competition, held in Phuket, Thailand, from July 2 to 5.

The SRBJ initiative was conceived by the Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail, to empower the state's education system and produce a holistic, competitive generation of 'Bangsa Johor'.

-- BERNAMA