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 Republic
Polytechnic’s very own Siti Suhailah Bte Abu
Thalib was one of the debaters selected to represent
Singapore in the Titian Minda debate series. The
debate is part of an annual student exchange programme
between Singapore and Brunei where youths from both
countries come together and learn from each other
through the exchange of knowledge and friendly competition.
The Singapore team came up tops in this year’s
debate. Suhailah shares her experience.
I had always dreamed of appearing in a prestigious
competition and now my dream has come true. It was
an honour for me to represent Singapore in Titian
Minda, a youth exchange programme between Singapore
and Brunei. Never once had I thought that I would
be able to go through all this. It was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime
and memorable experience that I will treasure.
The 12th of August was the day I embarked on a new
journey. I met and made new friends from Singapore
and Brunei. I can still remember how tense I was
waiting for the Bruneians to arrive. Upon their arrival,
both the Singaporeans and the Bruneians got on easily
which was a great relief to me. I have learned a
lot about their culture and way of life in Brunei.
They may be different from us yet, they are still
similar to us in some ways. Their youths like to
watch movies, hang out with friends and shopping
too!!
Being in this programme taught me a very valuable
lesson. The main priority of the competition is not
always to win but how we are going to achieve it
and win. If we lose, it does not mean we have failed
but just a little step back from the winner. Winning
is not everything. Friendship is the most important.
Throughout the competition, we were encouraged to
motivate our peers even if they were our opponents!
Titian Minda’s main purpose is to bring the
two countries closer. Thus, the competition was more
of a friendly debate rather than a rivalry.
The memories of this journey will always be cherished
and I will definitely treasure the new friendships
that were formed. I am glad that I was chosen to
live out my dreams and so should you! For those who
are keen in debating and wish to make it BIG, I encourage
you to carry on, strive for your dreams even if you
find that the going gets tough. You can do it if
you just believe in yourself!
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