Competition deadline extended
WRITERS have been given more time to submit their entries for the Merdeka Essay Writing Competition.
The deadline for submission has been extended to 4pm on Oct 31.
Themed “Promoting National Unity and Moderation”, the competition aims to encourage youth to write about the progress Malaysia has made in its 60 years of independence.
The competition is jointly organised by the Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (Asli) and Star Media Group, with support from Sunway University.
The competition is open to all Malaysians between the ages of 16 and 22 who are studying in secondary schools (Category A) and in colleges and universities (Category B).
Category A students must write an essay, between 400 and 800 words, on “Is there a symbol that can be used to unite all Malaysians, irrespective of race, culture and religion, and how would you use the symbol to promote national unity in schools?”
For Category B, college and university students are required to write an essay of between 500 and 1000 words, on “From the perspective of a young adult, discuss the importance and strengths of national unity for Malaysia, and discuss how moderation plays a part in achieving such unity”.
Entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges and results will be announced in November.
The first, second and third prize winners in Category A will receive RM1,500, RM1,000 and RM500 respectively.
Winners for Category B will receive RM3,000, RM2,000 and RM1,000 for first, second and third places respectively.
There will be five consolation prizes of RM200 each for both categories.
Only the first 500 essays received via email will be judged.
They must be original, previously unpublished and for this contest alone.
All quotes and references used must be properly cited. Any form of plagiarism will result in disqualification.
Contestants must submit their entries to essay@asli.com.my with their full name, contact number, e-mail address, residential address, name of school/college/university, year and course/major, school/college/university address and contact details.
For more information and guidelines on the competition, visit www.asli.com.my or http://cpps.org.my/.