Taylors Makes it to National Debating Finals

The Taylor’s A debate team made it to the grand finals of the Malaysian Nationals in April.

For the very first time in history, a contingent consisting of three individuals from the Taylor’s Debate Club blazed into the grand finals of the championship, as well as placing third in the Open Speakers category.

According to Markus Yap, one of the three from the contingent, the prep was mainly done on the day before the tournament itself.

The outcome of the competition itself was an unexpected one.

“We were only aiming to make the quarterfinals, and Malaysian National Universities Debating Competition (MNUDC) was definitely a tournament we signed up for to have fun with each other.

It was a crazy shock each time we advanced closer to the finals,” the 17-year-old said.

Besides Markus, Daphne Wong and Aiman Zuhaily earned the titles of Overall Best Speaker and Finalist Best Speaker, as well as 3rd Open Best Speaker respectively.

If one is seeking a new hobby, or simply a curricular activity to spend some of their spare time on, debating has proven time and time again to be a life-altering one.

“Joining debate gave me a platform to be the truest form of my ideals, and it shaped how I view and perceive problems today,” said the passionate speaker.

Markus claims that his partners made the experience of debate significantly better, and that having his teammates in the same room when giving his speeches was reassuring.

The Taylor’s Debate Club certainly seems to be achieving incredible feats, and soaring to new heights in its glory. Newcomers to Taylor’s are more than encouraged to join.

“Being a part of Taylor's Debaters has been an extremely gratifying experience. It has single-handedly been my support structure for exploring the varsity debate scene.

Most importantly, it has been the community that accepted who I was, and gave me experiences that I never would've had without it.”