MELAKA, Sept 15 (Bernama) -- Having just won an oratory competition in Shah Alam on Sept 12, Raja Nur Shazatul Aishah Raja Idris Shah continued her winning streak when she was crowned overall champion of the National-level 2026 Rukun Negara Oratory Competition here today.
Despite having to rush to Melaka and memorise her script in just two days, the 26-year-old Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) student secured a double victory by also winning the Higher Education Institution category.
Taking home a total of RM4,000 in cash prizes, a certificate and a challenge trophy, she said her overall preparation for the competition took only about a week after learning that she had qualified for the semi-finals and subsequently the final.
The eldest of three siblings said she initially did not set high hopes of becoming champion due to the short preparation period, but merely wanted to give her best performance.
Pursuing a fast-track PhD in management at UTP, she said that besides having to divide her time between two oratory competitions, the biggest challenge was ensuring that she was mentally and physically prepared.
"I would say that mental, emotional and physical preparation was my biggest challenge, apart from having to divide my time between two oratory competitions," she said, adding that her interest in oratory began in kindergarten before being further honed through various competitions in primary school, secondary school and higher education.
Raja Nur Shazatul Aishah said the challenge in the Rukun Negara Oratory Competition was producing content that differed from that of other participants, especially as the competition enters its sixth year.
She said this required her to scrutinise new facts, particularly those related to global and current issues, before linking them to the Rukun Negara principles.
"Most importantly, what extraordinary difference do we want to bring? I feel that is the reason I became the overall champion. Current facts are also a challenge, as we need to examine their authenticity and validate the information or facts first, to ensure they come from correct and accurate sources," she said.
Touching on her hopes after being named overall champion, she said she wanted to use the victory to ignite the spirit of young people to continue appreciating and upholding the Rukun Negara principles.
"I hope today's youth will stand together with us, now and always, until our last drop of blood. We will continue to uphold the principles of the Rukun Negara because this is Malaysia's greatest secret.
"This is our healing script, a psychological contract for the very survival of the Malaysian nation. Never forget these five principles. Let us hold on to them firmly and pledge that we will remain steadfast in upholding the five principles of the Rukun Negara," she said.
-- BERNAMA