How are your Malay speaking skills? We’re on the hunt for candidates to take part in the Malaysian government’s annual Pertandingan Pidato Antarabangsa Bahasa Melayu (PABM), which will take place for the seventh time this year.
The competition will take place from the 15th to the 28th of February. If you’re nominated as the successful candidate, you’ll be provided with flights, home stay accommodation, and meals for the duration of the competition. It’s a fantastic opportunity to travel around Malaysia, improve your language skills, and possibly even pick up a prize! The top three competitors in the overall competition receive cash prizes, with trophies, books, dictionaries, and plaques for runners-up.
Suggested topics this year include:
- Malaysia di Hatiku
- Kesukarelawanan Melahirkan Keperibadian Murni
- Uniknya Budaya Malaysia
- Malaysia Hab Pengajian Tinggi Antarabangsa
- Kesederhanaan Malaysia Contoh Terbaik Dunia
- Belia Cerminan Keunggulan Negara
- Kelestarian Alam Sekitar Tanggungjawab Bersama
- Keamanan Sejagat Keutamaan Kita
- Persefahaman Membentuk Keamanan Dunia
- Budaya Wadah Perpaduan Antara Negara
- Inovasi dan Kreativiti Asas Kemajuan Negara
- Transformasi Minda Tonggak Kegemilangan Negara
Daftar sekarang!
If you’re interested in taking part, sending your application is simple – just fill out the application form, including your name, email address, and a contact phone number, and include a paragraph of up to 200 words explaining why you think it’s important for Australians to study Malay languages.
In line with the competition’s criteria, our two judges (and former PABM finalists) Ayleen O’Hanlon and Nicholas Parsons will be looking at the grammar, vocabulary and syntax of your language; your style of writing; and the originality of your arguments. The competition accepts speeches in either Indonesian or Malay – hence, so will we.
Submissions are open from Monday, 14th January, right through to Sunday, 20th January. The winner will be selected and passed on to PABM organisers for approval by Monday, 28th January.
Syarat dan peraturan
The nomination process is at AIYA’s discretion, subject to the ultimate approval of the competition’s organisers. It’s also important to note that this process is separate to the competition itself – you’re competing for the opportunity to represent Australia, not the grand prize. Australia’s candidate will take part in the ‘international’ component of the competition, distinct from native Malay-speaking countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and Thailand. We reserve the right to accept or reject late submissions.
For more background information on the competition, the following documents in Bahasa Melayu have more details:
- Rules and requirements for the competition, including is structure, marking system, and requirements
- Prizes and participation awards
- The final application form, which also requires a passport photo, copy of your passport, and a signature from your university tutor or lecturer.