Sabah Student Wins 2026 Form Six Royal Cup Oratory Competition

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 (Bernama) -- A speech entitled ‘Krisis Moral Dalam Kalangan Pelajar, Siapa Yang Bertanggungjawab?’ (Moral Crisis Among Students: Who is Responsible?) proved to be a winning topic for a student from Sabah, who was crowned champion of the 2026 Form Six Royal Cup Oratory Competition.

The victory saw Mohammad Syahrie from Kolej Tingkatan Enam Datuk Pangiran Galpam, Sandakan, Sabah, take home the Royal Challenge Trophy and RM10,000 in cash, beating Muhammad Noorsolihin Mohd Taufiq from SMK Syed Alwi, Perlis, who emerged runner-up, while K. Lenithraa Sai from Kolej Tingkatan Enam Sri Istana, Selangor, placed third. 

The prize-giving ceremony, held at the Menara Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka here today, was officiated by Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia and attended by Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek. 

Speaking to reporters after the competition, Mohammad said he initially did not expect to make it to the final as he joined mainly to gain experience and obtain a certificate at the national level. 

“I cannot put into words how I feel about winning because I never expected to make it to the final. I joined the competition thinking that even reaching this stage would be enough, as I would get a national-level certificate. 

“I did not expect to make it to the finals, let alone be crowned champion,” he said. 

He said he only had a short time to prepare for the competition as he was busy with his trial examinations, resulting in most of his training being done at home, while his teachers and friends provided guidance through feedback and corrections on his use of language. 

“The topic was selected after discussions with my teacher, following the submission of several topics, before we chose the one considered most suitable for the competition’s theme. 

“I am grateful for the support from my friends, teachers and family, which has been a great source of inspiration, and I feel this will be a stepping stone for me to go further,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Lenithraa, who placed third with her speech entitled ‘Daulatkan Bahasa, Martabatkan Bangsa’ (Uphold the Language, Elevate the Nation), described her achievement as a source of pride, particularly as she was the only Indian participant among contestants from the 16 participating states. 

She said she had been preparing since July under the guidance of her teachers and had received full support from her college. 

According to Lenithraa, her love for the Malay language was the main motivation behind her choice of speech topic, despite speaking Tamil and English at home. 

“I am truly passionate about the Malay language. I have many Malay friends, so I speak Malay at school,” she said. 

Second place went to Muhammad Noorsolihin with his speech entitled ‘Kecerdasan Buatan (AI) Menjejaskan Daya Fikir, Kreativiti dan Keupayaan Pelajar untuk Berdikari’ (Artificial Intelligence (AI) Undermines Students’ Thinking, Creativity and Ability to Be Independent), earning him RM7,000 in cash, while Lenithraa received RM5,000. 

The 2026 Form Six Royal Cup Oratory Competition is a prestigious platform to foster mastery of the Malay language, critical thinking, as well as the ability to present arguments in a mature and ethical manner among pre-university students. 

Themed ‘Bahasa Minda Bangsa, Tonggak Malaysia MADANI’ (Language, the Mind of the Nation, Pillar of Malaysia MADANI), the competition was open to Form Six students from institutions under the Ministry of Education (MOE), with each state represented. 

In addition to the main prizes, three consolation prize winners each received RM1,000, while the Best Montage category winner received RM1,000.

-- BERNAMA