Press Release

Sunway Group’s highly anticipated Sunway-Oxbridge Essay Competition, which is the nation’s longest running English essay competition, is back for the ninth consecutive year with prizes worth up to RM200,000 in cash, bursaries, and Sunway PALS points to be won.

The Sunway-Oxbridge Essay Competition is the most popular of its kind in the country organised by Sunway Group, The Oxford and Cambridge Society Malaysia, Jeffrey Cheah Foundation and Sunway University, with support from Sunway PALS and fully endorsed by the Ministry of Education.

The competition aims to equip secondary-level students with skills such as English proficiency, critical reasoning, creativity, as well as emotional intelligence that will prepare them for their future.

The competition is open to all secondary school students studying the local syllabus and this year’s essays will revolve around the theme of ‘humility’. Participating students will be divided into Category A (Form 1 to 3 students) and Category B (Form 4 and 5 students).

Sunway Group Deputy Executive Chairman and Jeffrey Cheah Foundation trustee Tan Sri Datuk Seri Razman M. Hashim said, “This competition is part of the Group’s effort in nation-building to improve the quality of education across Malaysia by providing a fun and creative platform that allows them to develop a critical and innovative mindset, complete with the soft skills necessary for their future.

“We believe that we have a social responsibility to help advance the nation’s young minds for the betterment of our community,” he added.

This vision is encapsulated in the #SunwayforGood initiative that comprises three key pillars – education, healthcare and community enrichment. The Sunway-Oxbridge Essay Competition is an extension of that initiative and reflects the commitment Sunway has made to uphold the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education.

As per previous years, students will be required to submit their winning entries through the official portal, www.sunway.com.my/essay, starting 28 March to 29 April 2022 (by 1.00 pm).

Students under Category A (Form 1 to 3) will need to write a 200 to 350-word essay. The essay prompt is: “Malaysia is a country with religious diversity. Discuss how mutual respect can help people from different religious beliefs coexist harmoniously.”

Meanwhile, students from Category B (Form 4 and 5) will need to submit a 500 to 650-word essay. The prompt is: “Malaysia is a multiracial country. Make an argument for a more inclusive school that values the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of its students and outline the benefits this would bring.”

Sunway Education Group Chief Executive Officer Professor Elizabeth Lee said, “We hope the topics we have chosen this year cultivate the art of critical thinking, a highly sought-after skill in graduates and prospective hires. Over and above this, we hope to instil a sense of pride for our country and unity among races in our students.

“The digital age in the wake of COVID-19 has somewhat confined physical communications and social integration opportunities to the backseat. We need to provide the space for discussions such as these to take place to ensure Malaysia continues to be the melting pot of Asia,” she added.

Since its inception in 2014, more than 22,000 students have participated in the Sunway-Oxbridge Essay Competition, making it one of the most popular local literary contests.

Shortlisted participants in the first round will be invited to the on-site finals, an essay-writing assessment, on 23 July 2022 at Sunway Education Group institutions across Malaysia; Sunway University in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur, Sunway College Ipoh, Sunway College Kuching and Sunway College, Johor Bahru.

Winners will be selected by a special panel of judges comprising representatives from the Ministry of Education, teachers from the Sunway Education Group Centre for English Language Studies (CELS) and Ms. Margaret Hall, Past President and Executive Committee Member of The Oxford and Cambridge Society.

The first prize consists of RM5,000 in cash, a Sunway bursary worth RM16,000, 10,000 Sunway PALS Points, an award certificate and a trophy.

The second prize – RM3,000 in cash, a Sunway bursary worth RM12,000, 10,000 Sunway PALS Points, an award certificate and a trophy.

The third prize – RM1,000 in cash, a Sunway bursary worth RM 8,000, 10,000 Sunway PALS Points, an award certificate and a trophy.

There are also 10 consolation prizes to be won, each consisting of RM500 in cash, a Sunway bursary worth RM5,000, 10,000 Sunway PALS Points, an award certificate and a medal.

The bursary can be used as tuition fee waiver for any pre-university programmes at Sunway College in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur.