MELAKA: The Malay language must be consistently promoted and strengthened without neglecting English proficiency among younger generations, Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek said.
She said efforts to uphold the national language should be reinforced through various platforms, including public speaking competitions that allow university students to express their views through well-reasoned and knowledge-based arguments.
Fadhlina stressed that strengthening the Malay language while improving English proficiency remained an important national policy.
“We must consistently ensure that the use, enrichment and expansion of Malay language skills remain part of the national agenda,” she said.
She was speaking at the opening of the final round of the Arena Wacana Aspirasi Mahasiswa public speaking competition for higher education institutions, held in conjunction with National Language Decade (DBK) 2026 at Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) in Durian Tunggal today.
The competition was won by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) third-year Bachelor of Laws student Putra Haikal Ikhwansyah Nafarulzian, who received RM1,000 in prize money.
Second place went to Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) final-year student Yang Asyraf Asyran Rashidi, who is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Process Engineering Technology. He received RM800.
Fadhlina said public speaking competitions not only encourage continued use of the national language but also enrich vocabulary and improve language proficiency among the public.
She added that such initiatives play an important role in fostering a culture of knowledge, particularly by helping young people present their views clearly, respectfully and with sound supporting arguments.
-AWANI
