UMS TO HOST 16TH ROYAL DEBATING CHAMPIONSHIP

GEORGE TOWN, Feb 9 (Bernama) -- Some 500 debaters from 24 institutions of

higher learning will take part in the six-day Royal Malaysian Intervarsity

Debating Championship, hosted by Universiti Sains Malaysia, starting Saturday.

USM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Omar Osman told a news conference that 84

teams would compete in the debate in three languages -- Malay, English and

Arabic.

This is the second time USM is hosting the debate after the one in 1999.

This is also the first year that the university is sending debaters in the

Arabic category.

"Nearly all universities have send their teams for the Malay language, 15

universities in the English language category and 10 in Arabic," he said.

Fatin Syamila Fadzil, 21, who represents USM in the Arabic category, said it

would be challenging event.

The second year biological sciences student said it would be an excellent

exposure for the debaters.

The debates for the Malay and Arabic categories will take place at USM main

campus while the English language is at its Nibong Tebal engineering campus.

-- BERNAMA

NAW NAW JS