Sunway-Oxbridge Essay Competition 2015

Ministry of Education Recognises Winners of Sunway-Oxbridge Essay Competition 2015

Essay Competition on social issues garners close to 1,700 entries nationwide

Deputy Education Minister YB Tuan P. Kamalanathan presented total cash prizes worth RM28,000 and RM190,000 in Sunway bursaries to 26 winners of Sunway-Oxbridge Essay Competition 2015 today at Sunway University.

The Competition, which is in its second year, had garnered close to 1,700 entries from secondary school students across East and West Malaysia who are using Malaysian education syllabus. As one of the initiatives under the Sunway English Language Development Programme, the Competition was jointly organised by Sunway Group, The Oxford & Cambridge Society Malaysia, Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, Sunway University and Monash University Malaysia. It is endorsed by the Ministry of Education with the aim to sustain and increase English proficiency among students.

First prize winners of both categories took home cash prizes of RM5,000 and a Sunway bursary worth RM20,000 each. Second prize winners received RM3,000 cash and a Sunway bursary valued at RM15,000 each while third prize winner took home RM1,000 cash and an RM10,000 Sunway bursary. Consolation winners received RM500 cash and Sunway bursary of RM5,000 each. All winners received medals and certificates while winners of the top three prizes also received a trophy each.

Throughout the Competition, secondary students were invited to write essays on the negative effects of gambling; and why people should quit gambling. A total of 90 young Malaysians were then shortlisted from the 1,700 entries to attend the finals, a sit-down essay writing competition held nationwide at Sunway College Kuala Lumpur, Sunway College Ipoh, Sunway College Johor Bahru, Sunway College Kuching and SMK Methodist Boys Penang respectively.

The top three winners of Category A (Form 1 to Form 3) were Celine Chua Hui Yue, 14, from SMK St. Teresa, Kuching, as first prize winner; Ryan Moey Wei Ming, 15, from SMK Sri Sentosa, Kuala Lumpur, as second prize winner; and Leong Kit Ye, 13, SMJK Union, Penang, as third prize winner.

As for Category B (Form 4 to Form 5), Mandalyn Tan Ying Rui, 17, from Kolej Yayasan Saad Melaka; and Sindhiya Devi A/P Anbananthan, 17, from SMK Methodist Girls, Ipoh, took home the first and second prizes. In addition, SMK (P) Sultan Ibrahim, Johor Bahru, was acknowledged as the school with the most submissions with 132 entries two years in a row.

Education is one of Sunway’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) key pillars to help elevate academic standards in Malaysia and to provide sustainable and quality education. This competition is also in line with the National Education Blueprint 2013-2025 to uphold the English proficiency among secondary school students.

YB Tuan P. Kamalanathan, at the prize-giving ceremony, commended the winners for their determination. He said, “The Ministry is putting great focus on improving English proficiency levels within the country as English is the language of globalisation and an enabler of social mobility. English is not only the lingua franca for business but also for innovation. To complement our drive towards being a high-income nation by 2020, our proficiency in English is a critical component for us to have access to the wealth of knowledge that drives our national competitiveness.”

Sunway Group EXCO Member Puan Sri Datin Seri (Dr.) Susan Cheah, who was also present at the ceremony, said “We had initiated the Sunway-Oxbridge Essay Competition last year so that students can be equipped with a vital tool for their future success – proficiency in the English language. As we wanted to ensure that our winners don’t just benefit only from the cash prizes, we offer bursaries as prizes to the winners so that they can continue to pursue an internationally recognised pre-university programme in Sunway College. The value of the bursaries winners will receive today would substantially cover the tuition fees of their future courses.”

The first prize winners of both categories took home cash prizes of RM5,000 and a Sunway bursary worth RM20,000 each. The second prize winners received RM3,000 cash and a Sunway bursary valued at RM15,000 each while the third prize winner took home RM1,000 cash and an RM10,000 Sunway bursary. The consolation winners received RM500 cash and Sunway bursary of RM5,000 each. All winners received certificates and winners of the top three prizes also received a trophy each.

Parents or legal guardians of the winners also received 10,000 Sunway PALS points each in appreciation for their support. Sunway PALS is a loyalty programme that offers rebates and savings from various Sunway businesses, including Sunway hotels, Sunway Pyramid, Sunway Medical Centre and other participating outlets.

Top three winners of Category A (Form 1 to Form 3) – First prize winner Celine Chua Hui Yue, 14, from SMK St. Teresa, Kuching; second prize winner, Ryan Moey Wei Ming, 15, from SMK Sri Sentosa, Kuala Lumpur; and third prize winner Leong Kit Ye, 13, SMJK Union, Penang. Category B (Form 4 to Form 5), Mandalyn Tan Ying Rui, 17, from Kolej Yayasan Saad Melaka; and Sindhiya Devi A/P Anbananthan, 17, from SMK Methodist Girls, Ipoh, took home the first prize and second prize, respectively.

SMK (P) Sultan Ibrahim, Johor Bahru, was acknowledged as the school with the most submissions with 132 entries two years in a row.