IWON Pagoh’s Magical May: Voices, Vision, Victory

By, Muhammad Hanif Bin Naim, Akmal Ezzati Binti Ahmad Rafa’i, and Muhammad Hafiz Zhafri Bin Abd Kamal.

PAGOH, 26 May 2025: May has always been a busy month for students but last May, for IIUM Pagoh’s debaters and orators, it was nothing short of magical. It was a month where voices met vision and through effort emerged victory.

The Month Began With the Echo of Debates

The first weekend of May marked an exciting chapter for IWON Pagoh debaters as three of our promising talents, Muhammad Hafiz Zhafri Bin Abd Kamal, Nur Irdina Binti Hamka and Muhammad Khairun Nizam Bin Azhar, embarked on a challenging journey under the collaborative flag of Kelab Debat Bahasa Melayu UIAM Kuantan at the prestigious Pertandingan Debat Keusahawanan UMK 2025 organized by Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Kelantan Kementerian Pendidikan collaborated with Majlis Debat Universiti Malaysia (MADUM) and two more collaborators. 

From 2 to 4 May, the team competed fiercely through five preliminary rounds against some of the nation’s best debating teams in the IPT Utama category. In Round 1, they secured a victory against Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), with Nur Irdina Binti Hamka earning the title of Best Speaker. In Round 2, they faced a defeat against Centre for Foundation Studies IIUM (CFS IIUM). They bounced back in Round 3 with a victory against Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and continued their winning streak in Round 4 against Universiti Malaya A (UM A). In Round 5, they were defeated by the host team, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK).

Out of 24 competing teams, our team secured an impressive 16th place overall, demonstrating commendable skill and determination on a national stage. Individually, our debaters also performed well, with rankings among 95 participants as follows: Muhammad Hafiz Zhafri Bin Abd Kamal at 38th, Muhammad Danish Syabil Bin Muhamad at 40th, and Nur Irdina Binti Hamka at 42nd.

This competition highlighted the talent and dedication of IIUM debaters and strengthened the collaborative spirit within the Malay debate community.

The Debate Academy That Never Slept

In May, alongside competitions, the Kelab Debat Bahasa Melayu (KDBM) focused on internal development by conducting five intensive sessions of the Malay Smart Debate Academy 2.0, led by Muhammad Hanif bin Naim. The programme covered essential debate skills such as argument structure, delivery, and teamwork, aiming to strengthen both new and experienced debaters and reinforce KDBM’s dedication to nurturing confident and strategic speakers.

The Arabic Debate Club went even further by conducting five advanced sessions and ten sessions of MIRQAH preparation through Arabic Smart Debate Academy 4.0. It was a comprehensive journey led by Hanif and his dedicated team of senior debaters.

For the first time in years, the English Debate Club rose from a hiatus to host the first-ever English Smart Debate Academy, facilitated by the accomplished Atifah from EDC Gombak.

Spreading the Flame: Workshops Beyond Pagoh

From 7th to 9th May, two of our trainers were invited to Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) to conduct an Arabic Debate Workshop, blending theory with practical training. What made this mission truly meaningful was the result: following the session, UMK confirmed their participation in the upcoming MIRQAH competition and even secured one win. It was a small step, but a significant leap in their journey of growth.***