THE Indian Association of Penang (Penang IA) recently held its 23rd Trilingual Literary Competition, bringing together 28 Tamil primary schools (SJKTs) to enhance students’ oratory and writing skills in three languages.
Organised by a dedicated committee under chairman C. Nadarajan, a former national footballer, the event also celebrated Penang IA’s 100th anniversary.
Held at the Ramakrishna Ashram Hall on Nov 23, the event was graced by Deputy Finance Minister and Tanjong MP Lim Hui Ying, alongside Senator Dr A. Lingeshwaran, Penang IA president Dr Kalaikumar Nachi and Penang IA vice-presidents Datin G. Puvaneswary and S. Somasandharam.
“Competitions like these provide valuable opportunities for students to sharpen their skills in three languages, build self-confidence, and develop their personalities,” Lim said. She also allocated RM10,000 in support of the initiative.
Dr Lingeshwaran and Dineshkumar S. Haridass, managing director of Gajas Putih Sdn Bhd, each contributed RM5,000.
The competition, inaugurated on Oct 4, 1998, by the late N.G. Ganapathy, initially involved 11 schools and focused on Standard Four to Standard Six students. Leadership transitioned to P. Ramasamy, a teacher, in 2015, who helmed the 16th edition with a dedicated team.
Over the years, the competition has expanded to include essay writing (Bahasa Malaysia), motivational Tamil songs, storytelling (English), essay writing (English and Tamil), and elocution (Bahasa Malaysia and Tamil).
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix courtesy of Penang Indian Association