Competition crowns top Iban public speakers
KUCHING: Pekit Pidato Iban 2017 yesterday adjudged Tracy Layau, Martin Dinil and Michael Bandang Tinggai top Iban public speakers.
Tracy won the secondary school category while Michael and Martin won the tertiary students and under 45 open categories respectively.
All participants spoke on the topic of Iban language culture development.
Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Snowdan Lawan, who presented the prizes, called on the Iban community to preserve, promote, and protect the Iban language and culture.
“We need more competition like the one here to empower the Iban language. I hope the Iban community will also support all events that empower the Iban language at all times because language and culture are our identity,” he said.
He pledged RM10,000 to the competition’s organising committee.
Organising chairman Churchill Edward Drem said next year’s competition will come with improvements.
“Maybe there will be another category for veterans next year. We hope to get more variety, participants and crowd to participate in this event,” he said.
Pekit Pidato Iban 2017 was jointly organised by Utusan Borneo (UB) and Association for Educational Development of Iban Language (Aedil).
We need more competition like the one here to empower the Iban language. I hope the Iban community will also support all events that empower the Iban language at all times because language and culture are our identity. — Snowdan Lawan, Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports