English Debate Universiti Malaysia Terengganu

UMT's PNC '11 theme release

2011-03-09T21:31:00.000-08:00

heloo guys.
PNC is tomorrow n im anxious as well as u guys are!
so as the chair for tomorrow there are several rules i like you guys to take note:

1. no flashy attire!
2. no cursing the opponent team
3. foul word will result in mark deduction
4. be on time
5. go breakfast before coming on to debate!

so heres the list of motion on whats gonna come out tomorrow

1. Environment
2. Sports
3. Social
4. Health
5. Entertainment
6. Politics

hehehe.. be prepared everyone!!
cant wait to see you guys debate!

truly,
waney ^^~

Royals 2010

2011-01-22T16:47:00.000-08:00

Holy crap! I totally forgot that no one has blog anything about Royals 2010 that was held in December at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia in Parit Raja of Batu Pahat disctrict in Johor.

Ok, honestly, you may ask any of the debaters (I'm referring to just the English debating participants) who participated in the Royals, and they'll tell you what a surprise the event turned out. I mean seriously, the venue for the English debating took place in a housing community, which is actually one of the hostels for UTHM's students. So yes, the event literally took to the meaning with "This House" in the motion. However, the accommodation for the participants was satisfactory, and just like any Royals, sweet memories and challenging moments were created.

As the coach, I am glad that our Unrated Malicious Talkers were able to perform with the best they could. I'm also glad that they learned a lot that would further their skills not just for future debate events, but in sharpening their soft communication skills. Just because the Talkers didn't reach to the quarter-finals doesn't mean that they're not champion debaters. For the fact that they took the step to participate and took time & efforts to prepare themselves for the event, in my eyes, they are the champions. I was a student too (more like I was a Talker too), and I've always dealt with students who said that they would like to participate; but gives excuses that prevents them from going to the Royals. So to all the Talkers who stayed back in the campus, give yourself a good pat on the back. As for Hanitha, due to the circumstances, although you weren't able to join in the practise over in the hostel, you were still able to prove that you're still a good debater.

However, as to all of the Talkers, we have yet much needed improvements to develop our skills to reach further. Of the feedback that I received, all of the adjudicators mentioned how the points were not developed. So from here, I wish to apologize that I was obsessive to make sure you guys were able to debate with good points and linking them to your stance; which I left out the importance of highlighting the necessity to take up all of the points and present it as an overall package to overpower the points of the opposing teams. With that being said, I hope the new coach for you guys will do all that is necessary to enhance your skills. I'm truly honored that I have you guys to carry on the name of debating within the UMT campus.

Anyway, below are the list of our Talkers and their scores, and also the list of motions that were used in Royals 2010. Keep it up my Unrated Malicious Talkers!!

SPEAKER SCORES

JUNIOR (Total of 96 speakers)

(Speaker: Round1 + Round2 + Round3 + Round4 + Round5 = Total / Average [Rank])

KITTY: 73.00 + 72.00 + 75.00 + 72.00 + 73.50 = 365.50 / 73.10 [52]

SYAHMI: 71.00 + 72.00 + 74.00 + 69.00 + 72.00 = 358.00 / 71.60 [82]

FARAH: 72.00 + 71.00 + 0 + 0 + 70.50 = 213.50 / 71.17 [86]

HAFIZAH: 0 + 0 + 72.50 + 69.00 + 0 = 141.50 / 70.75 [92]

SENIOR (Total of 52 speakers)

(Speaker: Round1 + Round2 + Round3 + Round4 = Total / Average)

RAVISHA: 73.00 + 73.00 + 75.00 + 75.00 = 296.00 / 74.00 [25]

SIVA: 73.00 + 73.00 + 75.00 + 75.00 = 296.00 / 74.00 [26]

DURGA: 72.00 + 72.00 + 75.00 + 74.00 = 293.00 / 73.25 [32]

HANITHA: 72.00 + 73.00 + 71.00 + 73.50 = 289.50 / 72.38 [40]

AUFAR: 73.00 + 72.00 + 71.00 + 72.00 = 288.00 / 72.00 [42]

PURNIMA: 71.00 + 73.00 + 71.00 + 72.00 = 287.00 / 71.75 [43]

TEAM

Senior 1 15th out of 16 teams

Senior 2 12th out of 16 teams

Junior 1 24th out of 28 teams

MOTIONS

ROUND 1 (THEME: NUCLEAR)

1) THIS HOUSE WOULD PUT AN END TO THE NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION TREATY.

2) THIS HOUSE WOULD ENDORSE THE RIGHT TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

3) THAT UNITED STATES SHOULD UNILATERALLY ABANDON ITS' NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

ROUND 2 (THEME: MALAYSIA BOLEH!)

1) THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT MALAYSIA SHOULD RECOGNIZE THE STATUS OF ITS' POLITICAL REFUGEES.

2) THIS HOUSE WOULD NOT GIVE MANDATORY DEATH SENTENCE FOR ITS' DRUG TRAFFICKERS.

3) THIS HOUSE WOULD INCLUDE ALL ABOVE 18 IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS OF MALAYSIA.

ROUND 3 (THEME: SOCIAL NETWORK)

1) THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT FACEBOOK POLICIES SHOULD BE DECIDED BY VOTES AMONG FACEBOOK USERS.

2) THIS HOUSE WOULD REQUIRE USERS OF ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS TO DISCLOSE THEIR IDENTITY.

3) THIS HOUSE WOULD MAKE DATING WEBSITES COMPENSATE CHEATED SPOUSES.

ROUND 4 (THEME: ECONOMY)

1) THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF) SHOULD NOT INTERVENE IN THE ECONOMIES OF COUNTRIES IT GIVES LOANS TO.

2) THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT FOOD AID WILL BRING MORE DESTRUCTION TO RECIPIENTS' ECONOMY.

3) THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT CONTINUED FINANCIAL LIBERALISATION WILL BRING MORE HARM THAN GOOF TO DEVELOPING ECONOMIES.

ROUND 5 (THEME: DEMOCRACY ELECTION AND TRANSPARENCY)

1) THISE HOUSE BELIEVES THAT ELECTION CAMPAIGNS SHOULD RUN ON AN EQUAL AND UNITED FUNDING PROVIED BY THE STATE.

2) THIS HOUSE WOULD MAKE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC VIEWING THE TENDER PROCESS OF MAJOR PUBLIC CONTRACTS.

3) THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT ELECTION CANDIDATES SHOULD BE MADE TO SHARE THE SEAT OF A CONSTITUENCY IF THE WINNING MARGIN IS EXTREMELY SMALL.

QUARTER-FINALS JUNIOR (THEME: ASEAN)

1) THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT THE JUNTA SHOULD BE TRIED FOR POLITICAL AND OTHER EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLINGS.

2) THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT ASEAN BELONGS TO THE HISTORICAL ARCHIVES.

3) THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT INDONESIA SHOULD STOP EXPORTING ITS' MAIDS.

QUARTER-FINALS SENIOR (THEME: TERROR)

1) THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT THE WAR ON TERROR IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF GLOBAL TERRORISM.

2) THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT MILITARY EXPANSION IS NECESSARY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

3) THIS HOUSE WOULD SUPPORT A EUROPEAN DEFENCE FORCE.

SEMI-FINALS JUNIOR & SENIOR (THEME: GREEN WORLD)

1) THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT IT'S UNFAIR TO BURDEN THIRD WORLD TO MAKE EMISSION REDUCTION.

2) THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT R.E.D.D. (REDUCED EMISSIONS FROM DEFORESTATION AND FOREST DEGRADATION) PROGRAM CRIMINALIZES THE PEOPLE WHO PROTECT AND RELY ON FORESTS.

3) THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT THE PURSUIT OF BIOFUEL WILL LEAVE MORE PEOPLE IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD WITHOUT FOOD.

FINALS JUNIOR (THEME: LAW)

1) THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT LYNCHING CAN BE JUSTIFIED.

2) THIS HOUSEBELIEVES THAT JUDICIAL CANNING HAS NO PLACE IN MODERN SOCEITY.

3) THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT IN THE AGE OF THE INTERNET, CENSORSHIP IS AN OUTDATED POLICY.

FINALS SENIOR (THEME: PUBLIC TRANSPORT SAFETY)

1) THIS HOUSE WILL NATIONALIZE ALL BUS EXPRESSES.

2) THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT ANY DRIVER WHO CAUSES DEATH ON THE ROAD SHOULD HAVE A LIFE BAN ON DRIVING PUBLIC TRANSPORT.

3) THIS HOUSE WILL REDUCE THE HIGHWAY SPEED LIMIT TO 80 KILOMETERS PER HOUR AND STRICTLY ENFORCE IT.

How debate can be applied after education

2011-01-22T16:35:00.000-08:00

Most students over in UMT always think that to be an English debater, one must need the following: i) speaks fluent english; ii) be smart and know a lot; and iii) sacrifice the semester break. These stereotypical thinking is very disappointing that I wish students would have a better understanding on this. So without further a due, let me rebutt to these assumptions.

It's true that one needs to speak English when it comes to debating, but hey, who said that you need to have excellent English to be in the team? Anyone can debate, and it doesn't matter what level of English the person has, what's important is that one is given the platform to practice in their English communication. I've met with students (whether during my studies or during training) who approached to me and asked if I could help in improving their English. I remember how this one guy who joined the debate club because he couldn't find anyone who could talk English with him in his course. There was even a student who said that she came to join the debate club because not only she wanted to improve her English, but also to empower self confidence in public speaking. So to those who wants to make themselves to be a better speaker, to be more influential to get your ideas to be shared with others, then don't look far because the Unrated Malicious Talkers are here. Do listen to the following radio interview in Business FM 89.9 with Iqbal Hafiedz of Malaysian Institute of Debate and Public Speaking (MIDP), which he discusses on debating scene in Malaysia and how debating can benefits the student (of any education level) in their communication skills.

Malaysian Institute of Debate and Public Speaking

On to the second point, on the subject of 'knowing a lot'. Of course ya need to know stuffs if you're going to debate, but at the same time, one can learn to bluff. Heck, I used to bluff with the information I had back when I was debating for UMT. This is very common in debates because not everyone knows everything; however, we all know something that together as a team, we can stand as strong as Wikipedia. Plus, as the saying goes, 2 heads are always better than 1. So just because you feel that you don't know about something, it doesn't mean you don't know about anything at all. Below is another podcast featured in BFM 89.9 that shows an example of what debate is like. The motion is "This House Defends Wikileaks", which features Dr. Omar Sallehudin (a very prominent figure in debating in the Asian region) and Muhammad Faiz Arshad of Khazanah Nasional who is a debate alumni of UiTM Shah Alam. Enjoy!

Debate: Fundamental Liberties versus National Security

My last rebuttal is on the fact about sacrificing own time during the semester break. Honestly, how much longer do one needs to be spoon fed by the parents or older adults. Wait a sec, university students are adults; but at the same time, do they act as one? Yes they may reach or pass the age of voting (which is 21 years old), but do they behave in a sense that they can accept responsibilities, be accountable, and understand to let go any such comfort for future benefit. In UMT, debating doesn't come in the form of lecture or one of the co-curriculum activities; but rather, debating exist as a group of friends who just happen to enjoy each other's company in hanging out. Of course there are times when one must sacrifice their semester break for any activities, but hey, that's real life. For some, weekends is the only time they get to enjoy their 'break' from work, and no such month long break. Yes, it is appropriate to visit the family back home, but it doesn't have to be more than a few weeks. The whole 'manja' attitude has to be dropped, and let to be more independent. In the following video, Zoe Weil, the co-founder and President of the Institute for Humane Education (IHE), discusses on how the world needs 'solutionaries' rather just students who grows up to be taught. Then she talked about how she witnessed a debate and suggests how the debate competition should become an event where debaters would argue on which mechanism will work best and then apply it to the status quo (which does sounds a lot like what Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) is currently doing.
TEDxDirigo - Zoe Weil - THE WORLD BECOMES WHAT YOU TEACH

In conclusion, you don't need to be all good in 'speaking' or be a bookworm who knows all to be a good debater, and yes, one must accept and be mature to understand that one can't afford to sit back and rest in the comfort of the homes for too long, especially when being an university student. Not to mention, we always have fun during the times we stayed back for the training. Don't believe me? Ya may ask any of the Unrated Malicious Talkers that stayed back in December.

Happy Holidays!!

2010-12-12T06:31:00.000-08:00

To all of my sweet loving Unrated Malicious Talkers, each and every one of you have certainly made my December truly sweet.

As the Royals 2010 is approaching close, I wish to take this opportunity to let you all know that I do see the potential in all of you to become great debaters.

Let's work hard, aim high, and at the same time, enjoy what life has to offer!

Happy Holidays to all of you! ^_^

MDO IS ON D GO!!

2010-11-25T17:52:00.000-08:00

ive contacted MDO's 2011 converner 2 ask 4 a letter
its Asian Parliamentary format

team caps r 100 only!!!
they r under Melaka debating society so i expect it 2 be GOOD!!

details are as follows:

Date of the event : 4th to 8th March 2011
Debate Format : Asian Parliamentary Format
Tournament Cap : 100 teams
Registration fees : RM 370.00/ person for Local universities/organizations
: USD 135.00/ person for International
universities/organizations.

which is inclusive of:
*Rego
*Accommodation for 5 days / 4 nights in a 3 star hotel,
*Food throughout the tournament (Breakfast, Lunch, Tea, Dinner)
*Grand Final Dinner.
*Break Night party
*Transportation between debate and social venues.

dearest debaters..

hehehehe..

> sounds fun aint it!!!
> take the chance guys!!!

Lots of luv n hate! <3
cheers,
wani~

public speaking competition!

2010-09-22T17:34:00.000-07:00

Salam/ Greetings dear db8r!!!,

i got great announcement 4 u!

> as the title shown, there will be a public speaking competition going 4 MERDEKA @ UNIMAP-perlis @ 4-6 OCT! by all means, i need representative 4 our university!! 4 those who would like to attend to this matter n actually interested, plz say aye! hahah.. no lah... plz inform me ASAP> im telling u now! so ur audition will be on 1st oct! be prepared!!!

> the theme is Independence, surprise me, excite me n be creative!! im expecting a lot from ur guys...

> here is the list of term n regulation
- no foul languages
- no sensitive issues
- topic r based on current issue

> how i judge
- i look for content,
- accuracy n data logicality good elaboration.
- appropriate tone,
- compelling presentation
- modesty in personalities (brag out n ill kill u!!)
- read fm notes, ill cut ur mark 2 half
- foul words n ur marks will b deducted!
- standard language plz!( no y'all, dudes, babes)

im c-ing u guys back on 1st oct i guess? c ya soon!! if got changes dun wory, i surely will tell

p/s: good luck Daavena 2 who gonna present UMT in a public competition in UKM!! were rooting 4 u!! <3~

- 1st year students, PUBLIC SPEAKING WEEK will start @ 22 OCT so the registration started oredi yesterday!! u MUST participate n debate competition is there 2!! all for 1st years!!! grab this chances!!!- debate id according 2 ur academic club! (HIMMAT, KKK, FOOD SC.. etc..) more info log into DEMI page okeh.. n i shall tell u d details l8r! ^^~

cheers n lots of luv,
waney <3

Exam Fever.

2010-03-21T22:41:00.000-07:00

helooo!! after a while i write again!! im still waiting for the teams that enter PNC 2010 to actually send me their group picture!! by the way, examination is getting near and i know that were all freaked out!! hehe.. take this stime for some last minute studying everyone!! revise well, eat well, sleep well. Healthy body= healthy mind.
good luck for exam!!

cheers- with luv- waney!^^~

PNC in UMT

2010-02-26T22:35:00.000-08:00

so far so good!! we got Ten team s participating in this tournament! thogh its lesser than wat we had last year, its better beacause all the participants are awesome!! gongratulation 2 DHC and FOOD SCIENCE for making it to the final!!

* This post wil be improved soon!

NOVICE in UiTM Shah Alam.

2010-02-26T22:10:00.000-08:00

On 19 to 21 February 2010, UMT had send 2 teams to compete in the National Novice tournament in UiTM Shah Alam. There are 98 teams participating representing almost 50 institution! among this, UMT debaters had gain great experience and knowledge, making new friends by means in the same time improving the debating technique. As the result are ot, one of UMT teams scores to be in rank 25 out of 98 participating teams!while the other team scored rank 60. Great improvement in UMT debating society! the speakers rank are as followed:

shafwan- 57
Aufar- 76
ashraf -120
siva prakash-160
purnima kadarasen- 161
mohd shahmi- 213

congratulation UMT DEBATERS!
more on this >

HaPpy ChineSe New Year And VAlentine day

2010-02-13T16:35:00.000-08:00

HEpi CNY everyone! it seems dat this holiday will be filled up with fun and joy of the year or the tiger! grrr!may our life be prosperous! never the less, heppi valentine day also.. this is the first time we celebrated both occasion on the same date! to all couple out there, love is in the air.....

DebatE workshop PNC 2010

2010-02-09T16:35:00.000-08:00

sorry! the updates are late but hey better late than never. hello everyone!! long time?? nah~ but its been a moment or 2.. hehe.. so for those who come to the debate workshop congratulation and thank you! do practice your new knowledge well and dont hesitate to ask! luv~ waney

PNC participants! THEMES for motions are OUT!!

2010-02-01T23:20:00.000-08:00

hello debaters!!
good day to you. I'm glad to inform you that the themes for our PNC debate tournament is OUT!!

THEMES

1. Biodiversity
2. Health
3. Sports
4. Social Issues
5. Economy
6. Science and Technology
7. Humor
8. Campus Issues

As we going to go with the real deal to give you the taste of real English debate, motion will be release on the spot!! don't worry we allow you to actually bring a laptop with you for a quick peek on the internet. plus, were organizing a mentor session by which, the university debaters were assigned to assist you guys in understanding debate. Anyway, please attend the workshop that will be held this Friday for more details. Tag your friends along even if they're not debating!! Looking forward to see you guys and for another debating experience to come..

time: 8.00 am
venue: Kompleks kuliah 12
attire: casual and simple

p/s any inquiries please email me @ dgsyazwani@yahoo.com or facebook on http://en-gb.facebook.com/dg.syazwaney

kudos~
waney

Human Rights as agreed in the United Nations and the CDHRI

2010-01-09T06:41:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to post this for quite some time, but I had work obligations to attend. Anyhow....

This post will focus on human rights, an issue that is yet to be understood fully by all Malaysians. With the issues that have been ongoing, I think it's more important that everyone establish a clear understanding of this necessity (yes, it is a necessity because the lack of it would only promote injustice).

According to United Nations, human rights is defined as "Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible" (Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights). Simply said, any human that is born into this world have a series of rights that they inherit for their existence. For many years, no correction, for many millenniums the human rights issue has been debated and handled as such that hierarchy system was practiced in history (e.g. caste system in India, class system in the Middle Ages).

With the creation of United Nations, one of the key documents ever made through the institution is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDoHR). You have two choices: either read the full text from the official website (http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a1); or, just watch the video below.

The UDoHR is one of the components that makes up the International Bill of Human Rights; while the other components include: i) the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; and ii) the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It is a fact that Malaysia is just among the few nations that have not sign and ratify both treaties into the nation's legislation. One might assumed that as Malaysia is projecting toward "developed country" status, the government would accept the treaties into our everyday lives. However, this is not the case for the fact that Malaysia is predominantly an Islamic and Malay state, which seems to be in conflicting in accepting UDoHR which other Islamic nations share the same sentiment.

Among the criticisms set on UDoHR is that the Islamic World (particularly members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference), the UDoHR is biased toward the Judeo-Christian cultures and not to Islam (Universal Human Rights & "Human Rights in Islam" by David G. Littman). Thus, in 1990, the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (CDHRI) was established, which can easily be viewed as the Islamic treaty on human rights in accordance to the Shari'ah law. Again, this only applies to the Islamic World and is more biased to Islam that there have been criticisms which states the CDHRI lacking respect towards human rights.

In my opinion, as Malaysia is a signatory to CDHRI and not to other treaties (i.e. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights), the racial mix in conjunct with cultural and religious elements may not be well saturated within our borders. In effect, this eventually led to misunderstandings (e.g especially the previously-known "the right to use the word Allah" issue). No matter the differences that each human being have in this world, it's a real pity that we cannot achieve utopia where we all can sing, "Why Can't We Be Friends?"

Post COP15.. Leading close to 2012

2010-01-06T21:42:00.000-08:00

We are into 2010, and for some who have been actively monitoring the progress leading to post Kyoto Protocol forecast, this means that the world has only TWO years left until the mentioned nations in the treaty to achieving the 2012 carbon emission target. To read and view the context of the Kyoto Protocol, just click to the following link: http://unfccc.int/essential_background/kyoto_protocol/items/1678.php. One of the ways to monitor the progress of climate change efforts, is to hold annual meetings called "Conference of Parties (COP)", which is also the time when government agencies and NGOs discussed, with activism occurring outside the venue compound.

About a month ago, nations throughout the earth took part in the Conference of Parties 15 (COP 15) meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark which saw world leaders attending the meeting, including President Barack Obama. It was also due to his presence that many world leaders decided to show up for the meeting.

So exactly what came out of the COP 15? Simple, the answers are: i) Copenhagen Accord; and ii) more disappointments. First, let's have a look as to what have been hoped for during the time of the meeting with this video from Arnold Schwarzenegger, California's Governor (synonymously known as the Governator), who describes what everyone can do in combating climate change.

Such an inspiring speech, makes one feel hopeful and be passionate that the COP 15 will yield great success. Well, unlike all fairy tales, the speech isn't so realistic to reach the minds of the world leaders. This next video is from the Stupid Show, which shows the progess of events that occurred during the COP 15, and also from the same crew who gave you the film, "The Age of Stupid".

Knowing the truth, it's quite evident to see how such agreement (relating to the Copenhagen Accord) can be established without the full consensus (consensus means agreement in the judgment or opinion reached by a group as a whole) of every nations. Sadly, this is the reality of life that is felt despite the false hopes that are at times promised to the concerned individuals.

welcome new year..

2010-01-01T03:15:00.000-08:00

hello world.. welcome new year 2010. lets put all the conflict behind and start a brand new, fresh page. may this year be blessed, and brings a lot of success and happiness to us all.
kudos~ waney

Season's Greetings to All!! ;D

2009-12-25T06:08:00.000-08:00

Hi ya folks! I'm just gonna keep this short and sweet since I don't wanna take too much of your time reading this.

First of all, I would like to congratulate to all of DEMI English debaters (otherwise known as Unrated Malicious Talkers) on their performance during the 2009 Inter-Varsity Royal Debate Competition that was held recently at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. Gals and guys, you've now seen (more like you've now lost your Royal debate virginity) how debate at tertiary institutions are carried out, and completely different from Bahasa Malaysia style debating, debating is just a matter of how you flip the motion as if you were going to make the yummiest pizza in Italian's history of culinary arts. Although I am glad of your outcome; however, you all have more to learn and do take the opportunity to grasp at whatever information that will help to build up your general knowledge. Also, I would like to thank Hanu, Berry, Wan and Aizat for their support during the Royals.

Now that's out of the way, I also would like to wish every one of you a joyful Merry Christmas and Awesome 2010 to look forward to. With that, I end this post with humorous clip from Jeff Dunham with Achmed the Dead Terrorist featuring the Guitar Guy! Cheers!!! ;D

THE ROYAL INTERVARSITY DEBATING CHAMPIONSHIP

2009-12-23T11:14:00.000-08:00

On 3rd to 8th of December 2009, a royal intervarsity debating championship was held at Universiti Malaya Kuala Lumpur. Universiti Malaysia Terengganu had sent out 3 teams to compete, consisting of 2 senior teams and 1 junior team. Unfortunately, the result is none our teams precede to the quarter finals as we can’t make it in the preliminary rounds.
First of all we would like to thank our coach, Mr. Wan Ahmad Azimi as he support and teach us the basic technique on debating. Speacial thanks also to Hanusia , Bariah, Shafwan , Aizat and Manutha for making this team possible and for all your support and guidance.
From the post mortem we conclude that the reasons for loses is yet coming from our part. As all of the debaters are beginners and first time debaters except for one, they are lacking of exposure and experience to handle these king of debating tournament. We also found out that we should change our format of debating, and pay more attention on the issues. We should also master the key issues regarding on what’s going on in the world. Never the less we should increase our own general knowledge and be aware of the current updates.
To make this better we suggest that the English Debate team should do frequent training and brainstorming to improve our current state of mind. We also suggest that more exposure of other tournament will also help for the team to improve thus we should be involved and participate in many tournament to come.

participants & speaker standings:

senior category, 72 participants

UMT senior A
DG. SYAZWANI BINTI AG. NANAK -35
MUHD ASHRAF BIN ABD RAHMAN -48
HANITHA DEVI D/O KUMAR -52

UMT senior B
MOHD SYAZWAN BIN AZIZI -67
DURGAHYENI MOHGANA D/O SELVAM -68
SIVA PRAKASH S/O ARIKRISHNAN -69
MOHD AZLAN BIN ABD MANAN -71

junior category, 91 participants
UMT junior:
MOHD AUFAR BIN MISBAHUDDIN -55
PURNIMA D/O KADARESAN -59
MAHFUZAH BINTI CHE ABDULLAH -62
MOHD ASRAF BIN MOHD ISA

hope for the best on next tournament.

Enjoy your holidays!!

2009-11-24T17:48:00.000-08:00

To all debaters (existing, former and alumni) of DEMI, I would like to wish all of you may you have an enjoyable time on the holidays, and Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha. Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy the video that I got here. Cheers! ^_^

Friendly match with UDM

2009-11-21T19:25:00.000-08:00

As a preparation to go for ROYALS INTER-VARSITY DEBATE, UMT debate team had a friendly mock with UDM debate team. The motion is THBT Family Planning Should Be beefed up. UDM takes in the proposition and UMT was the opposition. The result is the motion has been rejected. It was a good debate considering it is the first try for both teams. Hopefully our debate members will put more effort and enthusiasm to improve themselves. Bottom line-Good Luck guys!!

First Royal Debate 2009 meeting

2009-11-09T19:02:00.000-08:00

ATTENTION TO ALL ENGLISH DEBATERS!!!

We will have another debate training this week, so please pay attention to the following details:

Date: Tuesday, 11th of November, 2009
Venue: Hostel New Cafe
Time: 21:00 (that's 9pm)
Agenda: First meeting and ice-breaking moment
Treats: Depend on the turnout, there might be. ;)

[It's Getting Hot In Here] Newsroom

2009-11-09T00:42:00.000-08:00

Hi ya folks! How's the exam preparation going? I know the UMT's DEMI English Debate blog has been inactive for a very long time. So to keep up to date, I have attached the latest message posting by Khairun Nisa, a debate alumni of UiTM Shah Alam, who is very much active on debating and fighting on climate change issues. So again, to those who have not sign up for malaysian_debaters Yahoo! group, please do so now by clicking onto the box below.

Click to join malaysian_debaters

From: Khairun Nisa
To: MyCJN09 ; COP15 Malaysia ; BYEE Alumni ; UiTM training Yahoogroups ; uitmdebaters@yahoogroups.com; malaysian_debaters@yahoogroups.com; australs@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 15:39:10
Subject: [malaysian_debaters] Channel your debating talents into changing the world!

Climate change and debating. My favourite passions!

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Shadia Fayne Wood <shadia.fayne@gmail.com>
To: unfccc_youth <unfccc_youth@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, 21 October, 2009 12:28:34
Subject: [UNFCCC youth] Fwd: [It's Getting Hot In Here] Newsroom

Hey All,

I received this email through the itsgettinghotinhere.org newsroom. I wanted to pass the opportunity along to those that it spoke to.

shadia

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Crane <dc@debatewise.com>
Date: 2009/10/14
Subject: [It's Getting Hot In Here] Newsroom
To: shadia.fayne@ gmail.com

Name: David Crane
Email: dc@debatewise.com
Website: http://www.debatewise.com

Dear sir or madam,

I am the founder and chief executive of Debatewise.com, a leading debating web site. I'm also on the board of the International Debate Education Association, one of the largest youth debating organisations in the world. I'm emailing to propose a way of engaging young people in a global debate on issues around the Copenhagen summit.

The idea arose from the World Online Debating Championship, an event which has just ended and was the first of its kind. We had entrants from 25 countries and five different continents and they told us they loved debating with young people from other cultures in a way that didn’t involve great travel expense or environmental cost.

We propose using our software, our experience and the extensive contacts we have in the global debating community, to get young people involved in a global debate around the specific issues arising from the summit.

We propose two specific elements to our event:
During the summit: We form a panel of 1,000 young people from various different countries around the world. Some members debate the issues or conclusions from the summit as they arise, others vote on these debates. This forms an up-to-the minute indication of what young people around the world think of what delegates are doing.

After the summit: Young people debate the impact of the agreements and commitments made during the summit on their own country. They discuss whether they will work, the consequences that may result and what else they would like to see happen. In this way, we take what happens during the summit into the lives of people and make it real for them. We get the opportunity to counter misconceptions and motivate people to continue the work started in Copenhagen.

We would be very grateful for any help you could give us recruiting people for our panel. We are looking for English speakers (not native, but they will need a high level of understanding of written English and the ability to write well in English). They should be under 25, be divided equally between men and women, live in all continents of the world and represent all major religions.

If this is of interest, we’d send you a short email which you could distribute to people as you see fit.

In return, we’d be happy to ask members of the panel to debate issues important to your campaign and to use them as a mechanism for discovering global youth opinion on environmental issues.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Regards,

David Crane

About us
Debatewise
Debatewise (www.debatewise. com) is a not for profit online debating site which aims to become the Wikipedia of debate. Anyone can start a debate on any subject they like and anyone can edit and strengthen that debate. This ensures that over time the strongest and most definitive arguments emerge and so provide a highly valuable resource for anyone looking to make up their mind. Debatewise was founded in 2008 and is based in the London internet hub of Hoxton, East London. Patrons include Michael Crick, Gabby Logan and Chris Heaton Harris

The International Debate Education Association:
The International Debate Education Association (www.idebate. org) was created in 1999 and acts as an independent membership organization of national debate clubs, associations, programs, and individuals who share a common purpose: to promote mutual understanding and democracy globally by supporting discussion and active citizenship locally.”

About the debaters
Our panel of debaters will include current and ex World Champions, chief adjudicators of world events and debaters from debating clubs and universities in all four corners of the globe. For more information about the World Online Debating Championship please see here: www.debatewise. com/wodc and here: www.debatewise. com/wodc- debates

--
www.debatewise. com
020 3393 7223 | 07956 292 567
www.twitter. com/debatewise

Time: Wednesday October 14, 2009 at 6:51 am
IP Address: 217.151.108. 18

Sent by an unverified visitor to your site.

--
Shadia Fayne Wood
Project Survival Media Coordinator
Organizer Visionary Photo Journalista
Berkeley, CA
Skype- ShadiaFayne
315-868-4946

http://www.projectsurvivalmedia.org/
itsgettinghotinhere .org
ejcc.org

"A noontide have you been in our twilight, and your youth has given us dreams to dream."
The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran

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To unsubscribe from this group, send email to unfccc_youth+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/unfccc_youth?hl=en
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Selamat Berpuasa and Debatewise

2009-08-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I ever posted an article here (well it's been a long time since anyone else other than myself has update this blog). So first of all, I would like to wish to everyone Selamat Berpuasa, and may you enjoy this blessing month with tolerance and peace.

OK, before I go on, have any of you gone through the suggested links of debate websites that I have suggested in the past? If no, then make sure to do so on the previous posts (Debate Videos, The Debating News, Malaysian_debaters Yahoo Group, Introduction To British Parliamentary Style Debating, and Debate - Brief History And Format In Malaysia). The thing about debate is that you pass judgement after understanding both sides of the story. So of course one would require to get as much viewpoints and information before choosing the side we feel best to take. So I introduce to you all, Debatewise! This debate website focus issues that emphasizes both sides of the story. So like any other debate, it would have two sides which you may choose from. You may participate through voicing out your opinion on the points given or making a point new point yourself, and even take part in the poll. In whichever way, Debatewise is a good place to be resourceful of the matter. So the next time you have a free time to browse (other than facebooking or texting your buddies), do have a look through at Debatewise.

Cast your vote!

2009-07-09T23:51:00.000-07:00

No it's not the elections, but how do you feel about the Government's decision to teach Mathematics and Sciences in Bahasa Malaysia? Do you agree? Disagree?

I can guarantee there are a lot of disappointments. So another way to make yourself heard is to cast your vote on Tun Dr. Mahathir's blog (Che Det). Go to the blog post titled "THE TEACHING OF MATHS AND SCIENCE", read the post, and look to the poll on the right hand side (refer to the picture below). To show you support the decision, by click on Yes; if you disapprove of the motion, click on No.

"The teaching of math and science" article posted on Che Det. Look for the poll on the right hand side where you see the red box.

If you said Yes, then I guess you're just a minority of Malaysians that are happy with the Government's decision.

If you said No, then as a majority, we have to accept the fact the politicians don't appreciate the full good use of mathetmatics and sciences as a major importance to their knowledge.

Jeff Dunham featuring Sweet Daddy Dee

2009-07-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

Hi ya folks! I know many of you are just settling into your academic studies and all, but just to make y'all comfortable, then take a few minutes of your time to watch this video. Remember people, laughter is the best medicine. Enjoy! ;D

Welcome new debaters!

2009-07-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

Ahoy there! Yeap, I do talk like this because I've been on board the boats in Malacca Strait for almost a week now. I just had my first Irrawady dolphin sighting yesterday, which was a true serendipity. Anyhow...

First of all, I would like to welcome all new members to the DEMI family (Kelab Debat dan Mahasiswa Intelektual). Now, just because you're in the debate club does not equate to being a nerd. Trust me folks, you don't have to be über smart just to know how to debate. Debating is fun, and after what I've gone through, it's always a drama with par comedy and tragedy. I hope that you will be a part of the DEMI for as long as you can, and I would also like to remind this to current English debaters that English and BM debaters are always together as a family. Please don't ruin the hopes of your existing seniors who made sure that this is true.

Now, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Azimi, or you may refer to me as Jimmy which people find it easier to know me by (as for the full name, don't ask). Hehe.. I was an English debater for DEMI from July 2005 to May 2008. I may not be as active with debate as I was before, but the skills I've learned from debating has taught me to be more efficient with my soft skills. I studied marine biology back in UMT, and I'm currently working for WWF-Malaysia on the sea turtle conservation. I never pinpoint to say which state I'm from, but I'm always proud to be Malaysian because that's what I've been telling to people when I grew up (living overseas really gives you a chance to be an ambassador as well).

If you want to learn more about debating, please don't hesitate to explore this blog. I have posted many articles in the past, and doing so helps me to keep in touch with current UMT debaters due to my situation with work. I have a limited time to write this post, so pardon me for not putting up the suggested links I would recommend you to visit.

Well that's all from me, and again, I welcome all new members of DEMI, whether as BM or English, researcher or debater. Take the time as well to thank yourselves for making the initiative to learn the art of debating as I can guarantee you the benefits you will gain out of it. Last of all, I would like to remind current and existing members to cooperate with one another to avoid unnecessary conflict, to manage DEMI more efficiently, and of course, to always have fun (remember, DEMI is not just a club, but also a family). Until then, all the best of luck with your studies.

Welcome to DEMI!

Debate Videos

2009-04-08T19:36:00.000-07:00

When Puan Rozita mentioned about the proposed idea of a World Debate in Bahasa Malaysia, I couldn't help but assumed that the idea must have rooted from the Worlds, otherwise known as the World Universities Debating Championship. I have doubts that many are aware of what the Worlds is about (the history, past participants, style, format, etc.). Rather than to blame, I have searched upon the sites where UMT debaters will be able to learn more.

First, let's have an understanding on the format of the Worlds. As the leading international event of debating championship, the Worlds attract students from all countries and with attendance of prestigious universities. The history can be quite complicated to understand at first, but later you get the idea why it was only between a few countries (yeah like there was internet back in 1976 among Asian universities). Just to make the story short, the Worlds first started back in 1981. The format of the tournament follows the British Parliamentary sytle debating, which in the debate there would be the government and the opposition, where each side consists of opening and closing teams, and each team will have 2 speakers. Therefore, in the debate, there will be 8 speakers in total (please refer to my previous post, Introduction to British Parliamentary Style Debating).

In addition to the Debate Video Blog that I provided previously, here are more sites that you may want to find out more about British Parliamentary style debating:

IDEA Youtube page
Qatar Debate videos
Flashpoint Television, debate tv program by Lawrence Debate Union from University of Vermont (UVM)
Debate Central, learning portal about debating from UVM
Raw archives of debate videos from UVM
Global Debate, blog for all debating events throughout the world.

Just in case you may want to download the video, Just go over to Real Player website, and download the Basic Player (unless you're willing to pay and afford the SuperPass version). ;)

I hope the videos will help all of debaters whether they are in BM or english, or even non-UMT debaters, and that the knowledge ought to be shared with others.

The Debating News

2009-04-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

Before I go on to the main story, I wish to take this opportunity to wish all of the fellow UMT debaters the best of luck in their final exams. Another semester has gone, and an almost end to another year. Those who are currently preoccupied with their dissertation (also known as Final Year Project), do your best and may you achieve the future you have laid out for yourselves. If not, then not to worry, there is still time. Remember, if you want it, go for it, don't just wait for it. In life, you're either the performer, or just the face in the audience.

Now, I know I have wrote a post about MLYSN, an online debate magazine that is made truly Malaysian. However, things have changed and set course into a new direction. What's new that every debater should check out is The Debating News. Pretty much similair to MLYSN, but it has been simplified further and has very interesting articles like "Debate Guide: McCroskey’s Guide To Opposition Approaches" and "Winning and Having Fun". In addition, they have a section on Careers, where they advertise opening for those who are interested to contribute or share knowledge in The Debating News.

So go ahead, indulge yourselves in reading something worthwhile, espeially that concers a lot to debating in Malaysia and globally.

Kelab DEMI's Earth Hour Poster

2009-03-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

Earth Hour Malaysia

2009-03-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

This coming Saturday, 28th of March will be a symbolic event for Malaysia as citizens unite to show their stance on climate change. Known as Earth Hour, this year will mark Malaysia's first time participating (however, I'm sure there were a few who did took part since 2007). Earth Hour is an event that was first brought up in Sydney, Australia back in 2007 that was organized by WWF Australia and the Sydney Morning Herald. This led to the participation of 2.2 million residents and business to raise the awareness on the urgency of actions on the issue of climate change. By 2008, the Earth Hour event became an international event with the involvement of other countries like United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Thailand and the Philippines. In 2009, this event is now known as a global election event where all one person need to do is switch off their light for one hour from 8:30PM to 9:30PM.

However, there are the skeptics who have criticized on the Earth Hour. It all breaks down to the question of effectiveness, is Earth Hour a benefiting event that can achieve change in attitude and habit toward climate change? Going back, all a person just need to do is to switch off the light to show that the person is aware about climate change; this doesn't mean that she/he would take measures to reduce their dependency on resources (i.e. use less electricity, less water, go carpooling, open windows instead of switching the fan or air-condition on, etc). Some have gone to the extent of labeling Earth Hour as a slacktivism, a movement that utilize minimum efforts to show support for an issue and resulting in minimal impact or result (e.g. signing in a pledge form, wearing an accessories or clothing to state the support of the issue). Another argument is the fact how much of the energy is being conserved from the event. Critics argued that at the time of Earth Hour, the power conserved does not make any influence on the release of carbons into the atmostphere.

Criticisms aside, WWF have replied stating that the objective of having Earth Hour is to create awareness and to create a stand on climate change. Realistically, you don't expect a person to automatically be conservative toward their use of resources in an instant. Like anything, it takes time, and with proper methods, this can be achieved. For more info, head to Earth Hour Malaysia, and enjoy the video clip below.

National Novice 2009 Summary Report by Syazwaney

2009-03-19T15:58:00.000-07:00

05 MARCH 2009
- depart from UMT at 9.00 pm.
- Going by bus along with those who are going to watch "pidato antarabangsa"(more on this please click here)
06 MARCH 2009

- Settle down at Masjid Bandaraya to change and have breakfast.

- Visit National Archive. Have discussion on NOVICE while enjoying the archive library.
- Arrive at Delta Hostel(our settlement 4 the next 2 days)
- Everyone on the bus wishes us luck(need it.. a LOT). Thanks guys.. ^^

- Enjoy dinner at PiZZa Hut..
- Follow up on discussion while watching "pidato antarabangsa" on tv.
- Amazed by how these people(foreigners) spoke in malay as it was their mother tounge.
- Stay up till 2AM.. time 2 sleep.. Gonna need lot of energy tomorrow.
07 March 2009

- Registering 4 the tournament.
- NUMBER OF TEAMS: 70 teams from 30 universities,216 speakers
- TIME: 8.00am - 10.30pm (4 rounds)
- surprised to see many foreigners are debating

- 1st motion is THW remove any identification of race in Malaysia. were the opposition, vs UITM KELANTAN 2 and The motion had been denied. we had our first win. ^^

- 2nd motion is THW allow abortion in the case of physical deformities. again, were opposition and this time vs UITM KELANTAN 1. Once again, the motion had been denied.

-3rd motion was tiring.. it was 6.00pm already and were exhausted. the motion is THBT lifestyle choices should be taken into consideration when receiving organs. were the government vs IIUM 3 and the motion was accepted. thats our last luck for the day..

-4th motion is THBT reality TV just isnt real anymore. This time were the government against NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY. like i said, luck had left us.. we lost as the motion was denied.. maybe its us or maybe its the condition were in.. when the 4th round finishes, it was 10.30 pm already... that late and were still debating.. tired, hungry, exhausted, you tell me..

- still we can smile though..
-we even had to take our dinner on the bus as it was late already.. second we arrive at the hostel, everyone had lost the spirit to discuss about tomorrow as were too tired to speak..
8 MARCH 2009
- Again, the debate start at 8.00 am.

- For the 5th motion, it was THW impose a carbon Tax on individuals. were up against UTM 1 and were the government. As the luck has flew over to their side the motion was rejected and we lost..
- so the final result is 3 win and 2 loses.
- UMT ranked 21 out of 70
- the speaker rankings are:
* Syazwani ranked 23
* Radhiah ranked 49
* Lee Ling ranked 89
- this is out of 216 speaker and i say UMT had done a good job for starters.
- For the complete ranking click here.
- special thanks to our researcher@ observer
* Syazwan
* FAdhil
* Aufar
* Yin Yee

- we didnt get to quarter,semi or final but yes we enjoyed the experience.:)

***GRAND FINAL***
vs
UT MARA 1 (Uitm Shah Alam) vs MONASH 1 (Monash University)
Motion: THIS HOUSE WOULD NOT PUNISH BATTERED HOUSEWIVES WHO KILLED THEIR HUSBANDS
- the winning team is MONASH UNIVERSITY
- we did not stay to watch the final though so its kinda waste. we were on a van heading hoe to UMT when the final are starting.. what a waste, but still its good enough...
- hope the next match or tournament, UMT will be better.
kudos~

Funny Lines from National Novice 2009

2009-03-19T01:41:00.000-07:00

A couple days back (Tuesday, 17th of March), a message was sent out among the malaysian_debaters yahoo group that focus on the National Novice 2009 that was held previously last weekend. The lines are just the humorous ones and truly memorable that shows how flexible communication can be when debating. Without further a due, this was the following message from Aina of UiTM (I truly salute for her efforts to spread the laughter). Enjoy! ;D

From: "Aina Syazwani Salleh" of UiTM Shah Alam
Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Subject: The Classic Statements of National Novice 2009!

Hey everyone! As promised, i have compiled the memorable lines from some of the debate rounds. Unfortunately, i didn't get the chance to chat with all the adjs so if you have anything to add, feel free add on!

Lo and Behold!

Parent-child debates

1. `We would allow abortion for babies who are conjoined.'
P.O.I: For which trimester?
`What?'
P.O.I : Is there a time limit for when the mom is allowed to abort?
`Of course. Two years!'

2. `If a dwarf mom has a baby, we will kill it.'

3. `How can you say you want to abort deformed fetuses? Look at Karpal Singh! He's deformed and he's in Parliament!'
(Ugh, firstly he's handicapped not deformed. And secondly, it's a bit too late to abort him now, innit?)

4. `Deformed babies will cause bleeding to their mothers' womb. It's true...'

5. `We want to include parents inside the children.'
(Eww.)

Environmental debate

1. `The govt says they want to use cow dung as fertilizer. But how are we going to do it? Who's going to pick up the cow dung? No one even wants to touch it!'
(Wow... talk about feasibility!)

Entertainment debate

1. `Chris Brown is not a violent man. You can tell from his songs like when he says: With you i dont need money, i dont need car, Girl you're my all! See?'

2. `It's normal for couples to fight like Katy Perry says, we fight we break up,we kiss we make up.'

3. It (reality tv) is real enough to make us cry when they cry, laugh when they laugh, heartbroken when they're heartbroken. Guys it's real"

4. `In Joe Millionaire, the couple had a perfect date and kissed under the full moon. How can that NOT be fake?'

5. `Britney is not even talented. She can't sing and dance at the same time!'

And the rest (including some classic ones from the previous tourney.)

1. `We believe that the end meets the meet!'

2. `Why make the UN do it? Why not PBB?'

3. Govt : The Sultans don't need our money! They are rich by birth!
Opp : Where do they get this money? From a treasure hunt?

4. Govt : "The Government of Malaysia is stupid."
Opp : "How can you say the Government is stupid? You ARE the Government!!"
(Yeah, like DUH!)

Motion : THW allow the use of torture on terrorists.

Opp: "Why would you want to torture terrorists? Do you want them to go crazy?"
Govt : "How can you say that all the crazy people are terrorists? Have you SEEN any crazy terrorists?"
(This is exactly the point where ADJUDICATORS go crazy.)

Opp : "We would not torture terrorists, but we would put them in counselling and advise them. Also, we would show them the pictures of their families, and ask if they really love them..." (Hmmm...Terrorist Anonymous.... very original, indeed!)

Cheers!
Aina
UTMARA

Never give up, even if you have fallen down countless of times...

2009-03-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

I dedicate this video to everyone of you, with the finals coming up, projects & assignments near to due date. Especially, to all the third & fourth year students who are busily working on their dissertation (also known as final year project). Good luck with your studies, and never give up. (",)

malaysian_debaters yahoo group

2009-03-11T22:27:00.001-07:00

Introduction to British Parliamentary Style Debating

2009-03-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

First of all, I wish to congratulate on recent developments that the DEMI English debaters have accomplished. I take in great pride that you guys have gone further than I have, and I hope to see more to come (quite honestly, I am jealous of you guys.. haha). Now the time has come that DEMI English debaters take the next step, to practise the British Parliamentary style debate. There are some similarities with the Asian Parliamentary style that was carried out during the previous Vice Chancellor Debate, but the differences won't be too difficult to understand.

British Parliamentary Debate consists of 2 sides (Government & Opposition) which each side features 2 factions (Opening and Closing) consisting of 2 speakers each. Therefore, there would be a total of 8 speakers from 4 different institutions in the following:

Opening Government:
-Prime Minister
-Deputy Prime Minister

Opening Opposition:
-Opposition Leader
-Deputy Opposition Leader

Closing Government:
-Member for the Government
-Government Whip

Closing Opposition:
-Member for the Opposition
-Opposition Whip

The speakers would alternatte from one side to the next, meaning that the debate is conduct in the following order: Prime Minister, Opposition Leader, Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Opposition Leader, Member for the Government, Member for the Opposition, Government Whip, Opposition Whip. Each speech is delivered in a time frame of 7 minutes, so again similair to the Asian Parliamentary style, the first and the sixth minute of the speech is protected where Point of Information (PoI) is not allowed.

I can go on more abbout British Parliamentary Debate, but instead of feeding you guys the information, I recommend that you do check on the following sites:

An Introduction to British Parliamentary Debating (Oxford Union Schools)
The Debating Handbook (Alexander Deane)
British Parliamentary Style Debating (Patrick Delaney and Harry Greenwell)
Debate and Issue 101: British Parliamentary Debate (Arnel D. Mateo)

Please do read carefully on the guidelines and rules that I have provided. Better yet, spend more time doing research on British Parliamentary Debate. If you want to see online videos of such debate, then head on to the Debate Video blog.

And The Winners Are...

2009-02-22T11:30:00.000-08:00

TeaM BioDiverSity

(under construction)

Good luck for the VC Debate

2009-02-17T18:05:00.000-08:00

Greetings y'all. From an unnamed source, I have been notified about the motions that has been released to the English category debaters (I'm just saying this so that people don't get confused that I'm referring to BM speaking debaters). For the record, here are the motions:

POLITICS
1) THBT MONEY POLITICS SHOULD BE LEGALISED.
2) THBT WE SHOULD STAY WITH PROTON PERDANA.

SPORTS
1) THBT WE SHOULD STOP SENDING OUR ATHLETES TO OVERSEAS.
2) THBT MALAYSIAN FOOTBALL: THERE IS STILL HOPE.

ECONOMY
1) THBT NEP IS NO LONGER RELEVANT.
2) THBT DUTY ON IMPORTED CARS SHOULD BE ABOLISH.
3) THBT WE SHOULD INCREASE THE DUTY FOR CIGARETTES.

ENVIRONMENT
1) THBT WE SHOULD SWITCH TO NUCLEAR ENERGY.
2) ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION: IS TOMORROW STILL THERE?

SOCIAL
1) THBT WE SHOULD SEND ANOTHER ASTRONAUT.
2) THBT REALITY TV SHOWS IN MALAYSIA PRODUCE MANY QUALITY ARTISTS.
3) THBT WE SHOULD RETAIN THE USE OF ENGLISH IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCES.

As cynical I may sound, I truly regret by the fact the motions are not view as a current issue and none seem to apply in the international arena (how come nothing on humanitarian issue???). I hope the committee members remind of themselves that the purpose of having this debate competition is not for the sake of glorifying DEMI's name, but to educate about debate, encourage critical thinking among all, and to exercise the brain for good health. Speaking of good health, here's a news article that I truly recommend for all of you to read and have a good laugh at it, "Nation's Blacks Creeped Out By All The People Smiling At Them".

Debate Events in Malaysia 2009

2009-01-25T03:45:00.000-08:00

To those debaters who have yet to register with the malaysian_debaters yahoo group, please do so immediately. This group serves as a good platform for those who wish to know what's happening with debate events in Malaysia, and getting to know other debaters as well. Just click to the following link and register: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/malaysian_debaters/.

"Dear All,

The debate Calendar is attached.

There are some tournaments that are clashing. IIUM League & BDC clashes.
+ GSD & AUDC Clashes + IIUM IV & UiTM IV clashes.

Those involved, please sort it out and send me/the mailing list, the
editted version of the calendar.

Also, Ive sort of prepared a Malaysian tournaments details below, I hope
those involved could fill in the details of their tourneys. I was thinking
that we could eventually make a broshur sort of thing for our events in
2009.

Please take some time and complete the calendar yo...

Hafiedzo.."

MONTH
Date
Debate Activity
Venue
Notes

JANUARY

31 - February 1,
-IIUM League 2009 I
IIUM(CFS?)

FEBRUARY

14 - 15
-IIUM League 2009 III

28 - March 1
-Borneo Debating Championship (BDC)

MARCH

7 - 8
-National Novice Debating Tournament 2009
UiTM Shah Alam

14 - 15
-UiTM IV 2009
UiTM Shah Alam

13th - 15th
-Gombak Open Intervarsity Debating Championship
IIUM Gombak

21 - 23
-Malaysian Debate Open 2009
MMU Melaka

APRIL

30 - May 7
-Asian Unity Debating Championship 2009
-IIU Interschool Debating Championship
IIUM Gombak

MAY

13 - 22
-AUDC
Bangladesh

20 - 23
-Great Serdang Debate 2009
UPM

27 - June 1
-Arau Open
UiTM Arau

JUNE

2 - 5
-ICRC International Humanitarian Law Debate Championship 2009
UiTM Shah Alam

To Be Announced
-MADUM National Debate Camp
(To help prepare malaysian teams Competing at Australs)
To Be Announced

JULY

2 - 10
-Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championship 2009
Monash University, Melbourne

25 - 26
-Women's Intervarsity Debating Championship
IIUM Gombak

AUGUST

8 - 9
-IIUM BP Debating League 1
IIUM Gombak

14-15
-IIUM BP Debate League 2
IIUM Gombak

22
-Start of Ramadhan

SEPTEMBER

19
-End Of Ramadhan

20 - 21
-Hari Raya

-OPEN HOUSE ANYONE?

OCTOBER

3-4
-IIUM BP Debate League 3

NOVEMBER

TBA
-Royal Malaysian Intervarsity Debating Championship 2009
Universiti Malaya

DECEMBER

To Be Announced
-WUPID
-NHSD
-Bar Council HR Debate'
-MADUM Debate Camp
(For worlds Prep)
-Worlds
Koc, Turkey

Details of all tournaments happening in Malaysia in 2009

No.
Tournament
Details
Contact Person
Remarks

1
IIUM League

2
National Novice
Rego Fee:
RM 50 (per person – Food etc)
RM 80 (per person – Food+accomodation etc)
(The n-1 rule applies but extra adjudicators are welcomed).
*Payments shall be made on the registration day.
Team cap: No team cap!
Asian style

For any enquires, contact: Atiqah Zaki (017-3655879), Rafeeza Hamdan (017-3777319)

Registration:
The registration form is at the file section of Malaysian_debaters Yahoo Group.
Download it and email it to: atiqah_zaki@...

Registration dateline – 25 February 2009

BDC

1) N=1 rule

2)Asian Palimentary (3 on 3 with no subtitutes)

3) the is a quota for the number of Peninsular institution that breaks
into the Quater Finals

e-mail us at:
aoshi_chzelor@...
aoshi_chzelor@...

Meeta(Convener): 012-9358266
Chze Lor(Tournament director): 012-6625689

3
UiTM IV

4
IIUM IV

5

MDO
Tournament Cap : 50 teams
Format : Asian Parliamentary
N-1 Rule
There will be no limit of age, institution, and nationality.
We intend to extend the invitation to all university, college
and high schools both locally and around the region.
Cheers,

Alex
Convener, Malaysia Debate Open
President, Voices Debate Society, MMU Malacca
contact : (+6)012 3689082

The organizing committee is
still finalizing the adj core as well as the tournament details

6
IIUM Interschool

7
Asians

8
Great Serdang Debate
UPM

9
Arau Open

10
International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Debate

11
Womens
All Debaters and Adjudicators have to be Women!

12
Australs

13
Royals

14
Worlds

Why are Jews so powerful?

2009-01-25T01:30:00.000-08:00

Before you begin reading this post, my intention of having this included in the English DEMI blog is to show how mighty the Jews are. I can guarantee that almost every member of DEMI, past and present, have never encountered or work along with a Jew. Not that I am racist nor do I praise them, but the Jews are smart. They have control of the current world even before the Muslims could grab hold of such achievement. Take a look at the products we are told to boycott, notice just how much of global presence they have made. Now, enough said, please do read without any feeling of prejudice in your heart, and I hope you may accept the reality that the Jews are quite tactiful, and as Muslims, we have a lot to learn.

Why are the Jews so powerful?
By: Dr Farrukh Saleem (The writer is a Pakistani economist and analyst who is also a freelance columnist.)

There are only 14 million Jews in the world; seven million in the Americas , five million in Asia, two million in Europe and 100,000 in Africa . For every single Jew in the world there are 100 Muslims. Yet, Jews are more than a hundred times more powerful than all the Muslims put together. Ever wondered why ?

Jesus of Nazareth was Jewish. Albert Einstein, the most influential scientist of all time and TIME magazine’s ‘Person of the Century’ was a Jew; Sigmund Freud — id, ego, and super-ego, the father of psychoanalysis was a Jew; So were Karl Marx, Paul Samuelson and Milton Friedman.

Here are a few other Jews whose intellectual output has enriched the whole humanity:

Benjamin Rubin gave humanity the vaccinating needle.
Jonas Salk developed the first polio vaccine.
Alert Sab in developed the improved live polio vaccine.
Gertrude Elion gave us a leukaemia fighting drug.
Baruch Blumberg developed the vaccination for Hepatitis B.
Paul Ehrlich discovered a treatment for syphilis.
Elie Metchnikoff won a Nobel Prize in infectious diseases.
Bernard Katz won a Nobel Prize in neuromuscular transmission.
Andrew Schally won a Nobel in endocrinology (disorders of the endocrine system; diabetes, hyperthyroidism. Aaron Beck founded Cognitive Therapy (psychotherapy to treat mental disorders, depression and phobias).
Gregory Pincus developed the first oral contraceptive pill.
George Wald won a Nobel for furthering our understanding of the human eye.
StanleyCohen won a Nobel in embryology (study of embryos and their development) .
Willem Kolff came up with the kidney dialysis machine.
Over the past 105 years, 14 million Jews have won 15-dozen Nobel Prizes while only three Nobel Prizes have been won by 1.4 billion Muslims (other than Peace Prizes).

Stanley Mezor invented the first micro-processing chip. Leo Szilard developed the first nuclear chain reactor. Peter Schultz, optical fibre cable; Charles Adler, traffic lights; Benno Strauss, Stainless steel; Isador Kisee, sound movies; Emile Berliner, telephone microphone and Charles Ginsburg, videotape recorder.

Famous financiers in the business world who belong to Jewish faith include Ralph Lauren (Polo), Levis Strauss (Levi’s Jeans), Howard Schultz (Starbuck’s) , Sergey Brin (Google), Michael Dell (Dell Computers), Larry Ellison (Oracle), Donna Karan (DKNY), Irv Robbins (Baskin & Robbins) and Bill Rosenberg (Dunkin Donuts).

Richard Levin, President of Yale University, is a Jew. So are Henry Kissinger (American secretary of state), Alan Greenspan (fed chairman under Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush), Joseph Lieberman, Madeleine Albright (American secretary of state), Maxim Litvinov (USSR foreign Minister), David Marshal (Singapore’s first chief minister), Isaac Isaacs (governor-general of Australia), Benjamin Disraeli (British statesman and author), Yevgeny Primakov (Russian PM), Jorge Sampaio (president of Portugal), Herb Gray (Canadian deputy PM), Pierre Mendes (French PM), Michael Howard (British home secretary), Bruno Kreisky (chancellor of Austria) and Robert Rubin (former American secretary of treasury).

In the media, famous Jews include Wolf Blitzer (CNN), Barbara Walters (ABC News), Eugene Meyer (Washington Post), Henry Grunwald (editor-in-chief Time), Katherine Graham (publisher of The Washington Post), Joseph Lelyyeld (Executive editor, The New York Times), and Max Frankel (New York Times).

Can you name the most beneficent philanthropist in the history of the world ? The name is George Soros, a Jew, who has so far donated a colossal $4 billion most of which has gone as aid to scientists and universities around the world. Second to George Soros is Walter Annenberg, another Jew, who has built a hundred libraries by donating an estimated $2 billion.

At the Olympics, Mark Spitz set a record of sorts by winning seven gold medals. Lenny Krayzelburg is a three- time Olympic gold medallist. Spitz, Krayzelburg and Boris Becker are all Jewish.

Did you know that Harrison Ford, George Burns, Tony Curtis, Charles Bronson, Sandra Bullock, Billy Crystal, Woody Allen, Paul Newman, Peter Sellers, Dustin Hoffman, Michael Douglas, Ben Kingsley, Kirk Douglas, William Shatner, Jerry Lewis and Peter Falk are all Jewish?

As a matter of fact, Hollywood itself was founded by a Jew. Among directors and producers, Steven Spielberg, Mel Brooks, Oliver Stone, Aaron Spelling (Beverly Hills 90210), Neil Simon (The Odd Couple), Andrew Vaina (Rambo 1/2/3), Michael Man (Starsky and Hutch), Milos Forman (One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest), Douglas Fairbanks (The thief of Baghdad) and Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters) are all Jewish.

To be certain, Washington is the capital that matters and in Washington the lobby that matters is The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC. Washington knows that if PM Ehud Olmert were to discover that the earth is flat, AIPAC will make the 109th Congress pass a resolution congratulating Olmert on his discovery.

William James Sidis, with an IQ of 250-300, is the brightest human who ever existed. Guess what faith did he belong to ?

So, why are Jews so powerful ?

Answer: Education.

Why are Muslims so powerless ?

There are an estimated 1,476,233,470 Muslims on the face of the planet: one billion in Asia, 400 million in Africa,44 million in Europe and six million in the Americas . Every fifth human being is a Muslim; for every single Hindu there are two Muslims, for every Buddhist there are two Muslims and for every Jew there are one hundred Muslims. Ever wondered why Muslims are so powerless ?

Here is why: There are 57 member-countries of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), and all of them put together have around 500 universities; one university for every three million Muslims. The United States has 5,758 universities and India has 8,407. In 2004, Shanghai Jiao Tong University compiled an ‘Academic Ranking of World Universities’ , and intriguingly, not one university from Muslim-majority states was in the top-500.

As per data collected by the UNDP, literacy in the Christian world stands at nearly 90 per cent and 15 Christian- majority states have a literacy rate of 100 per cent. A Muslim-majority state, as a sharp contrast, has an average literacy rate of around 40 per cent and there is no Muslim-majority state with a literacy rate of 100 per cent. Some 98 per cent of the ‘literates’ in the Christian world had completed primary school, while less than 50 per cent of the ‘literates’ in the Muslim world did the same.

Around 40 per cent of the ‘literates’ in the Christian world attended university while no more than two per cent of the ‘literate s’ in the Muslim world did the same.

Muslim-majority countries have 230 scientists per one million Muslims. The US has 4,000 scientists per million and Japan has 5,000 per million. In the entire Arab world, the total number of full-time researchers is 35,000 and there are only 50 technicians per one million Arabs (in the Christian world there are up to 1,000 technicians per one million). Furthermore, the Muslim world spends 0.2 per cent of its GDP on research and development, while the Christian world spends around five per cent of its GDP.

Conclusion: The Muslim world lacks the capacity to produce knowledge.

Daily newspapers per 1,000 people and number of book titles per million are two indicators of whether knowledge is being diffused in a society. In Pakistan , there are 23 daily newspapers per 1,000 Pakistanis while the same ratio in Singapore is 360. In the UK , the number of book titles per million stands at 2,000 while the same in Egypt is 20.

Conclusion: The Muslim world is failing to diffuse knowledge.

Exports of high technology products as a percentage of total exports are an important indicator of knowledge application. Pakistan ’s exports of high technology products as a percentage of total exports stands at one per cent. The same for Saudi Arabia is 0.3 per cent; Kuwait , Morocco , and Algeria are all at 0.3 per cent while Singapore is at 58 per cent.

Conclusion: The Muslim world is failing to apply knowledge.

Why are Muslims powerless? Because we aren’t producing knowledge.
Why are Muslims powerless? Because we aren’t diffusing knowledge.
Why are Muslims powerless? Because we aren’t applying knowledge.

And, the future belongs to knowledge-based societies.

Interestingly, the combined annual GDP of 57 OIC-countries is under $2 trillion. America , just by herself, produces goods and services worth $12 trillion; China $8 trillion, Japan $3.8 trillion and Germany $2.4 trillion (purchasing power parity basis).

Oil rich Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and Qatar collectively produce goods and services (mostly oil) worth $500 billion; Spain alone produces goods and services worth over $1 trillion, Catholic Poland $489 billion and Buddhist Thailand $545 billion. (Muslim GDP as a percentage of world GDP is fast declining).

So, why are Muslims so powerless ?

Answer: Lack of Education ! All we do is shout to Allah whole day and blame everyone else for our multiple failures..!

Obama on Abortion

2009-01-23T21:38:00.000-08:00

A couple days back, US President Barack Obama has lifted a ban on American federal government on funding to foreign groups that promotes abortion (Al-Jazeera, BBC, CNN). This issue certainly has sparked a protest among those who oppose to abortion with sayings such as "We choose life" and accusing of Obama as a baby killer. On another aspect, this move is positively helpful to developing countries where family planning is not handled properly. With the political tension between the Democratic and the Republican party, the abortion issue is just one of the elements that differentiates the two political parties.

Morally, many religions would emphasize that every life deserve not to be killed. Thus, abortion is consider by many a taboo, especially in Malaysia. Even in neighboring countries like the Philippines, where the majority is Roman Catholic, abortion is consider to be a sinful act and to be despise of. In Islam, abortion is definitely consider as a sin. This is because the fetus is considered as a creation of life, and no one has the right to end a life which Allah has given to the mother to give birth to. In addition, the Quran also mentioned that no one should give away their children to the ease their burden of poverty (Dr. Arafat El Ashi, 2006). Unless, in a situation that the pregnancy does risk the health of the mother, only then does abortion is allowed in Islam. In addition, abortion in Islam is also allowed if the woman was raped by her enemy (Mufti Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, 2006). If so, then what about in other cases such as rape?

Democrats have always fought for family planning which includes sex education, use of contraceptive, and of course, abortion. Western ideologies are more liberal as compared to the Asian culture and philosophies that both contradicts each other. There are those who choose to be "pro-choice", proposing for abortion, because they believe a woman has more rights over her body. In this perspective, the fetus is consider as a property of the pregnant woman where she can choose to abort the child due to certain reasons. These may include poverty, health risk to the pregnant mother, no intention of wanting to raise a child, and preventing the child to be born with disabilities or ill conditions. Abortion is considered as a strategy in family planning, and for many agencies that are supported by the new administration of President Barack Obama, this really spells good news for them. As a Democrat, this move has truly upset the Republican party that is unacceptable to them.

One way to look abortion issue in America is the battle between the two stance: Democrat who are "pro-choice" and Republican who are "pro-life". The reason for this is because the Democrat have the tendency to be more liberal as compared to the conservative Republic. Thus, it would be obvious that Republic are more in root to their faith that the fetus is considered as a life and one that has the right to live. For the Democrat, many have opposing views and see that the woman would have more rights over their body including the fate of the fetus. This can easily be seen when America switches from one party to the next, the issue of abortion is directly proportional to the change in office administration.

Overall, as Muslims, the Islamic state that abortion is a sin and should only be considered in few circumstances. However, we should understand that some people view the matter differently because the fetus is defined as being a part of the woman and she has the right to abort the child. As of a result, the viewpoints of how acceptable is abortion to the society reflects upon their political leaders who pass judgment based upon their principles. One thing for sure, to bear the child is an amazing gift from Allah, but must be considered cautiously at the time of intercourse.

For more read:
1) Barack Obama on Abortion (OnTheIssues.org)
2) McCain and Obama on Abortion (TIME)
3) Barack Obama on Abortion and Birth Control (glassbooth)
4) Sources: Obama may quickly reverse abortion policy (CNN)
5) Religion & Ethics - Christian view of Abortion: Roman Catholic (BBC)
6) Islam and Abortion (Society for the Protection of Unborn Children)

Debate - Brief history and format in Malaysia

2009-01-01T03:48:00.001-08:00

This post serves as a compliment to what Ali wrote previously titled "Debat Itu Universal" in the main DEMI blog.

True, debate is applicable to whoever the person may be despite their cultural, environmental and social background. However, the definition of debate doesn't necessarily bound to every person as some would label "debate" as a formal discussion. In addition, debate has many styles throughout the globe that has their own set of rules such as the one use in Malaysian tertiary institution.

Since the early days of the Greeks, it was claimed that Isocrates was the teacher of public speaking. There were more to come after him, but this established the Greeks to be the first culture and society to have debate within their community. As this became widespread to other society for the sake of democracy, many great debaters and speakers came about that deliver their key points on the topic matter. Now, debate is covered in such a world wide perspective that majority of political system would contain debate as an element of governance. However, in some societies, debate isn't an integral part of their daily lives and can be seen rather as an argument case.

In places where censorship exhibits much strength than the freedom of speech, debate is not part of the society. Nor is it considered as a right for the unfortunate citizens. In this viewpoint, debate isn't universal and that it would be an overstatement that all can debate. I know that Ali is just referring the fact that any student can debate when he meant by universal, which is quite obvious and truism. Then again, is it? What got me pondering was whether he referred 'debat' as Malaysian parliamentary style? Or debating in general, which includes the debating styles overseas? If he were to refer the Malaysian parliamentary style, then it would be an overstatement as not everyone can debate in Bahasa Malaysia. However, if the scope were to refer debating in general, then it is sensible. Anyone can debate, but not everyone can debate in Malaysian parliamentary style debate in Bahasa Malaysia (yes, including me).

Going back, it was the Greeks who established themselves as the pioneers in debating. Through the age of time, debating has widespread to other english speaking nations that each has developed their unique style and format. In Malaysia, it is a fact that the nation follows the Australasian style debate and Asian University Debating Championship format. This is because both sides have 3 speakers with the leader, the deputy leade and the whip as each speaker is given 7 minutes to deliver their speeh, and both sides are given a 4 minute speech to deliver their overall argument. The debating style in Bahasa Malaysia follows this format as it is being translated from the English format. I may not know exactly how debating in Malaysia came about, but this is just an obvious conclusion.

So for all those new debaters out there, it takes hard work and full dedication if you want to be a good debater like the past champions. However, never think negatively when you lose or failed miserable as each mistakes help you to be the better person you want to be. You can debate, but if you're like me, then not everyone can debate in Bahasa Malaysia. ;D

Royals 2008 Team Rankings and Speaker Score

2008-12-04T16:14:00.000-08:00

Hi ya guys. It's been one week since we all met in IIUM, so I hope all of you have had a good time to relax. No matter what, I'm still glad you guys had made this far as to participate in such event and willing to speak up for your points. This is just a step forward into improving your communication skills, so do take the advantage and the opportunity to improve yourselves further.

On the matter of constructive criticisms, I believe that when you guys practise ought to train together as a team, not individually. If you're in a public speech contest, of course that would be applicable. However, in a debate competition, there's no one person but just one team. If the other person fails, so does the whole team. I hope all of you can remember on that.

I'm not gonna spend too long with this, but I do wish to make an announcement that the Speaker's Score and the Team Rankings are out. As I have mentioned in the past, please do join the malaysian_debaters yahoo group. Just click on the link to register into the malaysian_debaters yahoo group.

Take care you guys and enjoy the weekends. Selamat Hari Raya AidilAdha. (",)

Royals 2008 Schedule Programme

2008-11-23T18:05:00.000-08:00

The Royal Malaysian Intervarsity Debating Championship 2008
Schedule Programme

List of Abbreviations:

MADUM: Majlis Debat Universiti-Universiti Malaysia
(Malaysian Universities Debate Council)
CAC: Cultural Activity Centre
AIKOL: Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws
ENGIN: Kulliyyah of Engineering
KAED: Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
KENMS: Kulliyyah of Economics & Management Sciences

Click here for map & directions of International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), the host venue.

28^th of November, 2008 (Friday)
10:00am – 5:00pm	Participants Registration	Mahallah Ameenah
3:00pm – 6:00pm	Adjudicator Workshop	CAC
5:00pm – 7:00pm	Briefing Session	Mahkamah Mut, Auditorium KAED & Adm LT1
7:00pm – 8:00pm	Dinner Meal	Mahkamah Mut, Auditorium KAED & Adm LT1

29^th ofNovember, 2008 (Saturday)
7:30am – 8:30am	Breakfast	Mahkamah Mut, Auditorium KAED & Adm LT1
8:30am – 9:00am	Team Calling to the Hall	Mahkamah Mut, Auditorium KAED & Adm LT1
9:00am – 11:00am	Debate – ROUND 1	1. AIKOL & KENMS; 2. ENGIN & KAED; 3. Admin Building
11:00am – 11:30am	Break	1. AIKOL & KENMS; 2. ENGIN & KAED; 3. Admin Building
11:30am – 1:30pm	Debate – ROUND 2	1. AIKOL & KENMS; 2. ENGIN & KAED; 3. Admin Building
1:30pm – 3:00pm	Lunch and Zohor prayers	1. AIKOL & KENMS; 2. ENGIN & KAED; 3. Admin Building
3:00 pm – 5:00pm	Debate – ROUND 3	1. AIKOL & KENMS; 2. ENGIN & KAED; 3. Admin Building
5:00pm – 5:30pm	Break and Asar prayers	1. AIKOL & KENMS 2. ENGIN & KAED 3. Admin Building
5:30pm – 7:30pm	Alumni Debaters IPT (ADI)	Mahkamah Mut
7:30pm – 8:30pm	Dinner	1. AIKOL & KENMS 2. ENGIN & KAED 3. Admin Building

30^th of November, 2008 (Sunday)
7:30am – 8:30am	Breakfast	1. AIKOL & KENMS; 2. ENGIN & KAED; 3. Admin Building
8:30am – 9:00am	Team Calling to the Hall	Mahkamah Mut, Auditorium KAED & Adm LT1
9:00am – 11:00am	Debate – ROUND 4	1. AIKOL & KENMS; 2. ENGIN & KAED; 3. Admin Building
11:00am – 11:30am	Break	1. AIKOL & KENMS; 2. ENGIN & KAED; 3. Admin Building
11:30am – 1:30pm	Debate – ROUND 5	1. AIKOL & KENMS; 2. ENGIN & KAED; 3. Admin Building
1:30 pm – 3:00pm	Lunch and Zohor prayers	1. AIKOL & KENMS; 2. ENGIN & KAED; 3. Admin Building
3:00 pm – 5:00pm	Debate – ROUND 6	1. AIKOL & KENMS; 2. ENGIN & KAED; 3. Admin Building
5:00pm – 5:30pm	Break and Asar prayers	1. AIKOL & KENMS; 2. ENGIN & KAED; 3. Admin Building
5:30pm – 6:30pm	Free Activity
8:00pm – 11:00pm	MADUM Annual Dinner (clothing : formal)	CAC

1^st of December, 2008 (Monday)
7:30am – 8:30am	Breakfast	1. AIKOL & KENMS; 2. ENGIN & KAED; 3. Admin Building
9:30am – 12:30pm	Debate – Quarter Finals	1. AIKOL & KENMS; 2. ENGIN & KAED; 3. Admin Building
12:30pm – 2:30pm	Lunch and Zohor prayers	1. AIKOL & KENMS; 2. ENGIN & KAED; 3. Admin Building
2:30pm – 5:30pm	Debate – Semi Finals	1. AIKOL & KENMS; 2. ENGIN & KAED; 3. Admin Building
5:30pm – 6:30pm	Break and Asar prayers	1. AIKOL & KENMS; 2. ENGIN & KAED; 3. Admin Building
7:30pm – 8:30pm	Dinner and Magrihb prayers	1. AIKOL & KENMS 2. ENGIN & KAED 3. Admin Building

2^nd of December, 2008 (Tuesday)
7:30am – 8:30am	Breakfast	Foyer 3 of CAC
9:30am – 11:00am	Debate Finals – Bahasa Malaysia (Junior); English (Junior); Arabic category	1. Main Auditorium (Bahasa Malaysia category); 2.Auditorium KAED (English category); 3.Experimental Hall (Arabic category)
11:00am – 11:30am	Break	Competition venue
11:30am – 1:00pm	Rest
1:00pm – 2:00pm	Lunch and Zohor prayers	Foyer 3 of CAC
2:00pm – 5:00pm	Debate Finals – English (Senior)	Main Auditorium
6:00pm – 8:00pm	Asar & Magrihb prayers and Dinner	Foyer 3 of CAC
8:00pm – 11:30pm	Debate Finals – Bahasa Malaysia (Senior)	CAC

3^rd of December, 2008 (Wednesday)
7:00am – 8:00am	Breakfast	Foyer 3 of CAC
9:30am – 2:00pm	Award and Closing Ceremony (clothing : formal)	CAC
2:00pm – 3:00pm	Lunch	Foyer 3 of CAC
3:00pm – 6:00pm	Exit Registration	Mahallah Ameenah

12 Simple Things You Can Do to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

2008-11-18T08:10:00.000-08:00

12 Simple Things You Can Do to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Turn it off

Turn off lights, televisions, videos, stereos and computers when not in use - they can use 10 to 40% of the power when on standby. Also, unplug chargers as soon as they have finished charging.
Be exact

Fill the kettle with only as much water as you need.
Close it

Don't leave fridge doors open for longer than necessary.
Check your tires

Properly inflated tires can improve your car’s fuel efficiency.
Use no plastic

Use cloth bags when going shopping and avoid buying products which use too much plastic.
Fan up

Instead of using air conditioners in the summer, wear cool clothes, and use a fan.
Drive less

Do your weekly errands in a single trip or pay your bills online. Walk, bike, ride the bus or carpool.
Optimize your speed

You will consume up to 25% less fuel if you drive no more than 90 km/hr.
Drive hybrid

A hybrid or other fuel-efficient car emits less carbon dioxide.
Replace them

Replace your incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL). CFLs cost 3 to 5 times as much but use less than a third of the power. Also, replace old fridge and other appliances with energy-efficient ones.
Watch what you eat

Choose food produced close to your home.
Recycle

Consume less, and re-use old products.

2nd Royal Debate Training

2008-10-13T03:16:00.000-07:00

ATTENTION TO ALL ENGLISH DEBATERS!!!

We will have another debate training this week, so please pay attention to the following details:

Date: Thursday, 16th of October, 2008
Venue: Meeting Room @ Hostel New Cafe (it's on the upper floor)
Time: 20:00 (Again, it'll be at 8pm)
Agenda: Practise on speech delivery and structure
Treats: With me, there will always be. ;D

Please do come if you are really interested, and I can guarantee you will reap the benefits of attending the meeting. Until then, see ya later folks! ^_^

Do You Eat "Petai"????

2008-10-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

ADVICE FROM UKM MEDICAL DOCTOR

Little did you know …… after reading THIS, you’ll NEVER look at petai in the same way again!

Petai contains three natural sugars -sucrose, fructose and glucose. Combined with fiber, petai gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proved that just two servings of petai provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute wor kout. No wonder petai is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. But energy isn’t the only way petai can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating petai. This is because petai contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS(premenstrual syndrome):
Forget the pills - eat petai. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia:
High in iron, petai can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt,making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the petai industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power:
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating petai at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert. Understand that bananas contain lot of potassium too so eat more banana. Just look at those monkeys, they are really active, alert, smart and cunning too!!

Constipation:
High in fiber, including petai in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a petai milkshake, sweetened with honey. The petai calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn:
Petai has a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating petai for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness:
Snacking on petai between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of the petai skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:
Petai is high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight:
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report c oncluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers:
Petai is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control:
Many other cultures see petai as a ‘cooling’ fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In hoiland, for example, pregnant women eat petai to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):
Petai can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.

Smoking:
Petai can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium petai snack.

Strokes:
According to research in ‘The New England Journal of Medicine,’ eating petai as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%’.

Warts:
Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of petai and place it on the wart. Carefully hold the petai in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, as you can see, petai really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, ‘A Petai a day keeps the doctor away’.

-courtesy of Amir's Blog-

MLYSN

2008-09-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

No, the title of the blog is not a misspell or an acronym of some pop band. Rather, it's the name of a publication that is set out to link among all Malaysian debaters in relating with debate (no duh!) and issues that matters to us debaters. MLYSN was created by an UPM graduate and a debate devotee, Muhammad Yunus, who is also the Co-Founder and Managing Director of H&G Strategic Communications Sdn Bhd. In addition, MLYSN is also the online magazine that relates to the World Universities Peace Invitational Debate (WUPID), a debate competiting event that attracts top debate teams from prestigious institutions and an opportunity for debaters that may want to polish their debating skills in British Parliamentary debate form (this year the event will be held from 13th to 18th of December with early rounds to be held at Universiti Kuala Lumpur and the grand finals at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre; for more information, just click here). MLYSN is distributed freely to WUPID's participants, WUDC's participants, and also to educational institutions in the Klang Valley. What I really appreciate about MLYSN is the fact that the online magazine also serves as a gateway to other debate sites that are rich in information and references. So to all DEMI members, I truly recommend that each of you do take some time to check out what MLYSN is all about, I can guarantee you'll enjoy a good read out of it.

English Debate Meeting on 9th of October

2008-09-28T22:40:00.000-07:00

Hi ya folks. It's been a long time since I last written a post for the DEMI English blog (I've been too busy playing with the turtles). Anyhow, I just wanna drop by to announce there will be a meeting for all UMT English debaters where we will discuss on the following:

i) ice-breaking with the junior debaters;

ii) the situation with the English team;

iii) training for the Royal Debate; and

iv) CIMB Group World Universities Peace Invitational Debate (WUPID) 2008.

Please take note of the following details:

Date: 9th of October (Thrusday)

Time: 20:00 (that's 8pm for you simple lot)

Venue: To Be Confirmed

Surprise Treats: Oh, definitely! ;D

I do hope the meeting will be a progressive one and that you guys will be able to perform much better than before. In the mean time, there is also another thing I wish to share with you guys.

Ever heard of the People Speak? It is an initiative by the United Nation's Foundation in 2003 that addresses key issues and encourages the participants to share their views, comments and opinions; which is basically like an online debate site. Since international issues is always included in every motions of debate tournaments, I would truly recommend that each of you guys to check out the People Speak website and hopefully you guys would take the initiative to enroll not just yourself, but also for UMT to be part of the online forum.

Until then, I wish all DEMI members a "Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Maaf Zahir & Batin". Take care.... (",)

Royal's Debate

2008-09-02T18:25:00.000-07:00

Our Next Tournament, The Grand Royal's Debate (DEBAT DIRAJA)

and as for that, all the debaters are required to come for every meeting and practice ok. new stage would be prepared for us, and this is the time for us to perform and do the best to prove who we are. we can no longer wait until after raya. WE MUST START NOW!!!

Thursday : Official DEMI Meeting with all DEMI's Members
Friday : Official Practice Meeting For English Debate
Time n Venue : Kafe Baru UMT, 10pm until we are tired.

its a grand tournament, with lots of tough competitors, do your best, and it will start from now.

PubLic SpeaKing Tips n TricKs =)

2008-08-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

How To Do It?

Know your material. Pick a topic you are interested in. Know more about it than you include in your speech. Use humor, personal stories and conversational language – that way you won’t easily forget what to say.
Practice. Practice. Practice! Rehearse out loud with all equipment you plan on using. Revise as necessary. Work to control filler words; Practice, pause and breathe. Practice with a timer and allow time for the unexpected.
Know the audience. Greet some of the audience members as they arrive. It’s easier to speak to a group of friends than to strangers.
Know the room. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids.
Relax. Begin by addressing the audience. It buys you time and calms your nerves. Pause, smile and count to three before saying anything. ("One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand. Pause. Begin.) Transform nervous energy into enthusiasm.
Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear and confident. Visualize the audience clapping – it will boost your confidence.
Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining. They’re rooting for you.
Don’t apologize for any nervousness or problem – the audience probably never noticed it.
Concentrate on the message – not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience.
Gain experience. Mainly, your speech should represent you — as an authority and as a person. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters club can provide the experience you need in a safe and friendly environment.

"Courtesy Of ToastMaster"

Rx for Global Poverty

2008-08-01T01:27:00.000-07:00

Globalization is actually helping...

What's the world's greatest moral challenge, as judged by its capacity to inflict human tragedy? It is not, I think, global warming, whose effects -- if they become as grim as predicted -- will occur over many years and provide societies time to adapt. A case can be made for preventing nuclear proliferation, which threatens untold deaths and a collapse of the world economy. But the most urgent present moral challenge, I submit, is the most obvious: global poverty.

There are roughly 6 billion people on the planet; in 2004, perhaps 2.5 billion survived on $2 a day or less, says the World Bank. By 2050, the world may have 3 billion more people; many will be similarly impoverished. What's baffling and frustrating about extreme poverty is that much of the world has eliminated it. In 1800, almost everyone was desperately poor. But the developed world has essentially abolished starvation, homelessness and material deprivation.

The solution to being poor is getting rich. It's economic growth. We know this. The mystery is why all societies have not adopted the obvious remedies. Just recently, the 21-member Commission on Growth and Development -- including two Nobel-prize winning economists, former prime ministers of South Korea and Peru, and a former president of Mexico -- examined the puzzle.

Since 1950, the panel found, 13 economies have grown at an average annual rate of 7 percent for at least 25 years. These were: Botswana, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Malta, Oman, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. Some gains are astonishing. From 1960 to 2005, per capita income in South Korea rose from $1,100 to $13,200. Other societies started from such low levels that even rapid economic growth, combined with larger populations, left sizable poverty. In 2005, Indonesia's per capita income averaged just $900, up from $200 in 1966.

Still, all these economies had advanced substantially. The panel identified five common elements of success:

Openness to global trade and, usually, an eagerness to attract foreign investment.
Political stability and "capable" governments "committed" to economic growth, though not necessarily democracy (China, South Korea and Indonesia all grew with authoritarian regimes).
High rates of saving and investment, usually at least 25 percent of national income.
Economic stability, keeping government budgets and inflation under control and avoiding a broad collapse in production.
A willingness to "let markets allocate resources," meaning that governments didn't try to run industry.

Why globalization can enrich everyone.

-"Newsweek.com"-

2008-07-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

Speech Comp.

Date: 8 August 2008 (Friday)
Time : 3.00 pm – 5.30 pm
Venue: Mahyuddin Auditorium, Faculty of Management and Economics

Contact Person: En. Wan Zulkifli Wan Kassim, B109, Block B, Faculty of Management and Economics (09-6683270/ 019-9405768)

Speech Rules and Regulations

The speech may be delivered in any of the following languages: Arabic, English, French, Japanese, Malay, Mandarin, Spanish.
Contestants may use speeches from famous figures. The speeches must be free from any sensitive issues such as religion, race, politics and so forth.
The length of the speech must be between 7 to 10 minutes.
Contestants who constantly refer to their notes during speech giving will be penalized.
Contestants who exceed the length limit will be penalized.
Any form of visual aid, including powerpoint presentation, is not allowed.
Points will be given based on delivery and pronunciation.

*this competition is held during our UMT Language Festival 2008, more details at: http://www.umt.edu.my/langfest/

*take this chance to develop your skills, and also to learn something new.
*or if you think you are a real good in this game, participate and prove it!
*(wan 013-4602268)

Graduation

2008-07-11T23:20:00.000-07:00

The very first day we all enter into any academic institution, whether it would be university or pre-school, we tend to predict of the future events that would or might occur to us. When I first came to KUSTEM (for the freshies, KUSTEM is abbreviated for Kolej Universiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia), I kept thinking what were the Malaysians moments that I'm most going to suffer. Mind you that I was brought up with an American system of education, I never had the opportunity of what it feels like to get all nervous for the SPM or even the UPSR exams. At the same time, I did thought as to which direction my future was going to stroll upon to. Hours became days, and eventually days fades into months and years, only did I realize as to how I want to direct my life. You may feel like you already what you want to do later after completing your course, or some may still be clueless as to what's going to happen next. My only tip for you all out there is the future will always be a mystery. I know I may sound like Master Oogway from Kung Fu Panda (damn, I still wanna learn that Wushu Squishy Finger technique), but it's very true of the message there. You can never predict fully of what will happen, and make the best out of what you have that is the present.

To my fellow graduates...
I congratulate you all for getting this far and wish you all the best of luck in the coming challenges, events and obstacles that will head your way.

To my fellow debating juniors...
It is up to you now to carry on the name of our DEMI club, our university, and our beloved country to as far as you can reach. Please remember that we are all a family and never should any conflict or dispute ruin of the love we have.

Lastly, to everyone of you,
I thank you for all the moments and times we all had together. This is not a goodbye, but rather, hello. Take care y'all. ^_^

P.S.: Enjoy the video!

Can Malaysia go NUCLEAR?

2008-06-29T00:15:00.000-07:00

THREE years! This is how long Malaysia would be a major oil exporter, and by 2011 we are expexted to be net importer, say industry experts.

And when the world finally runs out of fuel, what options do we, as energy consumption and petrol-dependent citizens, have?

Essay Contest 2008

2008-06-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

As part of our Public Outreach Programme, Perdana Leadership Foundation is organising the second Essay Contest this year. following tremendous response to last year's contest.

This year, the Foundation once again invites students aged between 13 and 21 from secondary schools, colleges and universities to sharpen their writing skills and provide their thoughts on the future of Malaysia as well as youth leadership. The theme for the essay contest is "Nurturing the Minds of Future Leaders"and students can choose to write on any of the following:

What is your vision for Malaysia in 2057 when the country celebrates its centennial Independence celebrations?
Apakah visi anda untuk Malaysia pada tahun 2057 ketika negara bakal menyambut ulang tahun kemerdekaannya yang ke seratus?

Describe what leadership means to you and the role that youth leaders play in shaping Malaysia's future
Terangkan apa yang anda fahami tentang kepimpinan serta peranan yang dimainkan oleh pemimpin muda di dalam mencorakkan masa hadapan Malaysia

Describe the relationship among culture, education and leadership, and the factors that you believe are important in moulding the future leaders of Malaysia
Huraikan hubungan antara budaya, pendidikan dan kepimpinan, serta faktor-faktor yang anda fikirkan penting di dalam mencorakkan generasi pemimpin pelapis Malaysia

Your essay can be in either English or Malay; however, English is the preferred language. All essays must include references. The essays shall be of the following length (excluding footnotes and bibliography: 1,500 to 2,000 words for all categories of participants.

Grand prize is a Chevrolet Aveo along with cash, book vouchers and a two-week work stint, so start writing!

Competition ends 30th June 2008. Participants will be notified in September 2008 of their essay's status and main prizewinners will be invited to a prize-winning ceremony later in the year. Check out the contest details and download contest entry from

http://www.perdana.org.my

For information, please contact our Secretariat at 03-8885 8953 / rose@perdana.org.my (Ms. Rose) or 03-8885 8960 / noorinsun@perdana.org.my (Ms. Noor Insun)

Essay Contest prizes are sponsored by: DRB-Hicom, AmBank Group, Bank Rakyat, Maybank, and MPH Bookstores. Our official media for this contest are The Star and Utusan Malaysia

English - Pisza List Of Motions

2008-05-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

Pre-Eliminary Round

THBT Father Should Be Present At Conseption
THW Watch More Television
THBT Artist Does More For Society Than The Entrepreneur
TH Favors Compulsory AIDS Testing
THBT We Should Ban WWE Wrestling

Quarter-Final

THBT Government Should No Longer Subsidize University Education

Semi-Final

THBT Science Should Hang Its Head In Shame

Pisza Final

This House Would Send No More Astronauts

Pertandingan Debat Piala DYMM Sultan Zainal Abidin

2008-05-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

Pertandingan Debat Piala DYMM Sultan Zainal Abidin

Uitm Dungun, Terengganu
15th-18th May 2008

UMT Debater, Researchers And Coach

UMT once again agreed to send teams for this tournament. Its a comeback for UMT since its long absence for 2 years past from this tournament because of some reason. 1 Malay team and 1 English debate team were sent to bring up UMT name on the stage of Malaysia's Universities.

Both team tried their best in the tournament, preparations have been made weeks before and in the tournaments lies the battle ahead. Fair enough, we did our best.

The game was surely a challenge as now we know there other people out there who is much more greater than we are. And in a game of debate, winning or losing, it all depends on the team-work itself. you cant win if only you are the good one while the others are not and you cant also win if you think you are far greater than your team mates. Its a debate, and each and everyone of you in the team regardless weather you are the debater or the researcher, you are the foundation of the team. All contributes towards the winning of your debate team.

Uitm Dungun itself have sure did their best in holding up the tournament. Congratulations for the great job.

As for our debaters, the UMT Malay Debate team only manage to pass into the quarter-finals as the fail on winning towards UDM making UDM continue to the semi-final and finals whereas the UMT Malay debate team puts it on hold there.

The UMT English Debate Team

On the other hand, the UMT English Debate team manage to get through until the finals, fought on the stage with UMP and secured the runner up after UMP for this PISZA Tournament.

Winning or losing, we now sure that we have slightly improved from the last Royale's Tournament. We didn't went back to UMT with an empty hand. Other than the big voucher and trophy for the English team, we all did get something far much more better. Improvements and new friends in the world of Malaysian debaters.

The Prize Money For Runner Up - UMT

All Thanx to Prof Majid, Puan Rozita, En. Affendy, Abg Azrul, Abg Syahmi, Abg Rais, Mr Jimmy, Abg Uzair, Kak Maizah, Kak Kama and all the researchers involved. we as the debaters truly appreciated the hard work given by all of you guys in helping and making it possible for us to be here. A round of applause, thank you.

See you all in the next tournament. A thing for sure, we'll get better for the next game.

Ken Lii!!!!

2008-04-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

Ok.. I know for most of you are feeling the stress and tension with the exams (a few of you may have finished already). So while I'm doing my EIA group study, one of my friends told me about this incident. It's the Bulgarian Idol, and it shows this one girl singing one of Mariah Carey's songs, titled "Without You." Well for the contestant, she percieve it as "Ken Lii." Enjoy! ;D

The Second Malaysian Student Leaders Summit (MSLS 2008)

2008-04-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

From the 2nd to the 3rd of August, Nikko Hotel in Kuala Lumpur will be hosting the Second Malaysian Student Leaders Summit (MSLS 2008). This event is organized by the United Kingdom & Eire Council for Malaysia Students, UKEC (Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar Malaysia di United Kingdom & Eire), which attracts Malaysian students from all universities throughout the globe. The main objective is to conduct a platform for the Malaysian students at tertiary level to participate and engage in a dialogue with prominent figures in Malaysia with issues covering political, social, and economy (I hate the fact that environmental issues are not being highlighted).

Among the speakers at the Second MSLS includes the following:

YAB Dato' Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia, who will give the keynote address and focus on the issue of governance with the title, "Transparency and Accountability in Governance – Primary Concerns of Modern Malaysia?"
DYTM Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah Ibni Sultan Azlan Muhibuddin Shah, The Regent of Perak, who will give the Royal Address titled, "Evolution of Malaysian Minds: Issues and Challenges towards a First World Mentality."
Y.B. Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Education Minister of Malaysia, who will give the Ministerial Address, "The National Education Blueprint: Addressing Racial Polarization and Sustainable Economic Development."
Dato’ Nazir Razak, CEO of CIMB Group, one of the speakers on the issue of Industry and Economy Forum, “Looking Out of the Window: The presence of Malaysian Corporate Giants on the global economic stage”.
Professor Dr. Shad Saleem Faruqi, Professor of Law and Legal Advisor, Mara University of Technology (UiTM), will be one of the speakers on judiciary and legal forum, “The Rule of Law: A Question of Restoring Faith in the System?”
Zainah Anwar, Executive Director of Sisters in Islam (SIS), one of the speakers on religios diversity forum, "Coping with Religious Diversity: The Challenge of Being Just to All Within the Context of Islam as the Official Religion".
Khairizul Rizzuan, Chairman of UKEC, one of the speakers on students forum, "Student Activism: The Way Forward".

The best part about this Summit is the fact that REGISTRATION IS FREE! So to those who are very interested, please do register now because the seats are limited to the first 500 registered participants. I advise to all, BM and English debaters, to attend this Summit because this would truly be rewarding as it would help to build your character, enhance your network of connections, and even make your resume/cv much attractive.

Global Food Crisis.... What's There To Need To Know?

2008-04-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

Previously the World Bank president, Robert Zoellick, mentioned in a press conference in Washington D.C. about the fod crisis issue. As a debater, we ought to know the current events, and this is just one of them. There are many web sites ya may refer to (Mother Jones, BBC, World Bank, Yahoo! News), but I've done the liberty to post this debate video that was organized by BBC. This debate was previously done in early April (6 days before the World Bank president held that press conference on 11th of April) and is about 46 minutes. The images may be blur, but the sound is still good enough to hear. Do take not and listen to the different views so that you all may understand better on the global food crisis issue.

malaysian_debaters Yahoo group

2008-04-14T22:53:00.000-07:00

Greetings! Would you like your CDs to be made from carbon dioxide?

2008-04-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

First of all, I would like to thank to Kama and Uzair for their initiatives to start this blog for English debaters. I do hope that the current members of DEMI and future members will always remember and retain the bond between Bahasa Malaysia debaters and English debaters. Compared to other universities, our relationship is very uncommon as many tend to differentiate from each other. However in UMT, we are all debaters and regardless of our course, faculties, year, or even our backgrounds, UMT DEMI debaters will always and forever be bond together as a family. On the other note, I also would like to wish all the best of luck to everyone with their exams and to some, with their industrial training. The following is from my new post that I just composed today from my blog, http://whatjimzthink.blogspot.com/. Enjoy! (",)

Ever wondered exactly what does mineral water bottle or DVD are made of? Answer: polycarbonate plastics. On to the next question, is it possible to extract the carbon dioxide from smokestack (as in those big smokes coming out of those huge chimneys)? And use that carbon dioxide as a raw material for polycarbonate plastics? If ya answered NO, then that information was so yesterday (well actually off by a week).

How I came to stumble with this information? Well it all started when I wanted to check my email last night, and I recieved a message from the Marine Biology International yahoo group. The message provided a link on a news article about US government spying on environmental groups. I found the article quite interesting and I pondered to the thought of the harsh espionage treatment an environmental conservationist would get. Afterwards, I decided to check out the news site, Mother Jones, and they have such interesting articles on current issues ranging from politics to blogs. Then I decided to look up into the Environmental & Health section, which led me to the article that really got my jaw dropped. The title reads out, "Lock Up CO2 In DVDs."

According to the article, during the 235th American Chemical Society National Meeting held in New Orleans last week, Prof. Thomas E. Müller and Dr. Toshiyasu Sakakura conduct a press conference that discussed about their research, "DVDs and CD-Roms that Thwart Global Warming," on how carbon dioxide can be use as raw materials for the polycarbonates plastics. According to Prof. Thomas Müller, he mentioned how carbon dioxide is so abundant as a raw material and that this method can help to reduce the carbon dioxide emission. Although this may sound good news, I would have to agree with Julia Whitty, Mother Jones's environmental correspondent, as she quote:

"Good idea: make polycarbonates from waste CO2.
Better idea: make less pollution and less polycarbonate plastics."

So exactly how would the carbon dioxide be collected? Well I went for further reading and I stumble upon this article from MSNBC, "Remove CO2 from air? Experts working on it - One approach uses lye to absorb greenhouse gas." The article mentions of two mechanisms: i) to suck out the air and have the carbon dioxide react with lye to turn into limestone and then sublimed (making solid turn into gas) back into gas; ii) to use solar heat to extract the carbon dioxide; and iii) similar method in number two but to use electrochemistry instead. Frank Zeman from Columbia University described the use of his device to direct the air through a chamber and is react with lye (sodium hydroxide) which will absorb the carbon dioxide into liquid form. Afterwards, the liquified carbon dioxide is mixed with lime to produce limestone, which is later baked in a kiln (which is like an oven) to release and then store the carbon dioxide. These methods are still in the experimental phase, but are still hopeful to yield much benefits in the future.

THINK BEFORE YOU THROW...

2008-04-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

Think before you decide to have sex. Think before you get an unwanted pregnancy. A baby is for life, its not a toy. Use your brain before you dump the baby in a garbage bin and leave the baby to die. You should know whether is your boyfriend are ready to get married or take responsibility or not if you get pregnant. If no then don’t have sex or practice safe sex.

If you thought you were ready to have sex, you should consider what would happen if you became pregnant.

I am not talking about religious part, people know about it. You should get married to prevent committing the sin of fornication or adultery. People won’t do it if they think about religious.

How if you have an unwanted pregnancy today, what would you do? Are you ready to be a mother? If yes, then good for you.

Now you have the child no matter what. It is a life that you have created, and if you are unable to take care of this child, you can do the most unselfish, loving thing, and that is to let a loving family adopt him/her. That is the choice you have to make. Don’t dump your baby..

Where did it happen?

Debate, More Than Just Talks !!!

2008-04-12T22:48:00.000-07:00

This house should believe, Debate: more than just talks.

Subscribe to malaysian_debaters

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English Debate Universiti Malaysia Terengganu

UMT's PNC '11 theme release

Royals 2010

How debate can be applied after education

Happy Holidays!!

MDO IS ON D GO!!

public speaking competition!

Exam Fever.

PNC in UMT

NOVICE in UiTM Shah Alam.

HaPpy ChineSe New Year And VAlentine day

DebatE workshop PNC 2010

PNC participants! THEMES for motions are OUT!!

Human Rights as agreed in the United Nations and the CDHRI

Post COP15.. Leading close to 2012

welcome new year..

Season's Greetings to All!! ;D

THE ROYAL INTERVARSITY DEBATING CHAMPIONSHIP

Enjoy your holidays!!

Friendly match with UDM

First Royal Debate 2009 meeting

[It's Getting Hot In Here] Newsroom

Selamat Berpuasa and Debatewise

Cast your vote!

Jeff Dunham featuring Sweet Daddy Dee

Welcome new debaters!

Debate Videos

The Debating News

Kelab DEMI's Earth Hour Poster

Earth Hour Malaysia

National Novice 2009 Summary Report by Syazwaney

Funny Lines from National Novice 2009

Never give up, even if you have fallen down countless of times...

malaysian_debaters yahoo group

Subscribe to malaysian_debaters

Introduction to British Parliamentary Style Debating

And The Winners Are...

Good luck for the VC Debate

Debate Events in Malaysia 2009

Why are Jews so powerful?

Obama on Abortion

Debate - Brief history and format in Malaysia

Royals 2008 Team Rankings and Speaker Score

Royals 2008 Schedule Programme

12 Simple Things You Can Do to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

12 Simple Things You Can Do to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Turn it off

Be exact

Close it

Check your tires

Use no plastic

Fan up

Drive less

Optimize your speed

Drive hybrid

Replace them

Watch what you eat

Recycle

2nd Royal Debate Training

Do You Eat "Petai"????

MLYSN

English Debate Meeting on 9th of October

Royal's Debate

PubLic SpeaKing Tips n TricKs =)

Rx for Global Poverty

Speech Comp.

Speech Rules and Regulations

Graduation

Can Malaysia go NUCLEAR?

Essay Contest 2008

English - Pisza List Of Motions

Pertandingan Debat Piala DYMM Sultan Zainal Abidin

Ken Lii!!!!

The Second Malaysian Student Leaders Summit (MSLS 2008)

Global Food Crisis.... What's There To Need To Know?

malaysian_debaters Yahoo group

Greetings! Would you like your CDs to be made from carbon dioxide?

THINK BEFORE YOU THROW...

Debate, More Than Just Talks !!!