PETALING JAYA, Oct 3 - Debate gives young people a valuable platform on which to challenge ideas, learn from differing views, and build confidence to express themselves, said Raja Muda of Selangor Tengku Amir Shah.
“We wanted to create a platform where young people could think deeply, question openly, listen carefully and have the courage to express an idea,” His Highness said in a speech at the Raja Muda Selangor Debating Championship (RMSDC) at Sunway Resort Hotel here today.
The two-day championship saw 42 participating teams, comprising 170 young debaters from Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, with different experiences and opinions.
The Raja Muda said such differences make debate valuable as it encourages youth to question their beliefs.
“It is only when someone stands across from us and says ‘I disagree’ that we are focused, forced to ask ourselves, ‘why do I believe what I believe?’
“That is where real learning begins. When that happens, do not be afraid to say ‘maybe I was wrong’. That is not a weakness; that is not losing; that is intellectual courage,” Tengku Amir Shah said.
Drawing from His Highness experience as a Transformational Leadership Fellow at the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, the Raja Muda said people can learn from those with different views without agreeing with them.
Tengku Amir Shah said the championship aligns with the Selangor Youth Community’s (SAY) push to give youth opportunities to connect, collaborate and contribute to their communities.
His Highness stressed that young people need support and shoulders to lean on.
“They need us to believe in them before they believe in themselves. They need someone to give them an opportunity. Someone to listen to their story.
We are telling you your voice matters, but with that voice comes responsibility, because leadership is not simply about having a voice; leadership is also about creating space for other voices to be heard,” the Raja Muda said, adding that the RMSDC is the start of more conversations, ideas, and opportunities centring youth.