Kuala Lumpur: A speech entitled “Krisis Moral Dalam Kalangan Pelajar, Siapa Yang Bertanggungjawab?” (Moral Crisis Among Students: Who is Responsible?) proved to be a winning topic for a student from Sabah, who was crowned champion of the 2026 Form Six Royal Cup Oratory Competition.
The victory saw Mohammad Syahrie from Kolej Tingkatan Enam Datuk Pangiran Galpam, Sandakan, Sabah, take home the Royal Challenge Trophy and RM10,000 in cash, beating Muhammad Noorsolihin Mohd Taufiq from SMK Syed Alwi, Perlis, who emerged runner-up, while K. Lenithraa Sai from Kolej Tingkatan Enam Sri Istana, Selangor, placed third.
The prize-giving ceremony, held at the Menara Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka here Thursday, was officiated by Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia and attended by Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek.
Speaking to reporters after the competition, Mohammad said he initially did not expect to make it to the final as he joined mainly to gain experience and obtain a certificate at the national level.
“I cannot put into words how I feel about winning because I never expected to make it to the final. I joined the competition thinking that even reaching this stage would be enough, as I would get a national-level certificate.
“I did not expect to make it to the finals, let alone be crowned champion,” he said.
He said he only had a short time to prepare for the competition as he was busy with his trial examinations, resulting in most of his training being done at home, while his teachers and friends provided guidance through feedback and corrections on his use of language.
“The topic was selected after discussions with my teacher, following the submission of several topics, before we chose the one considered most suitable for the competition’s theme.
“I am grateful for the support from my friends, teachers and family, which has been a great source of inspiration, and I feel this will be a stepping stone for me to go further,” he said.
