Merdeka video contest returns for fourth year

1Malaysia Indian Student Movement president D.Maha-ganapathy and vice president Sasi Kumar at the launch of the fourth Merdeka Video Competition organised by 1MISM to foster unity among students in public and private instutitions of higher learning.

YOUTHS play an important role in shaping a nation’s future, and to instil a sense of patriotism and love for the country, the 1Malaysia Indian Student Movement (1MISM) is organising a competition to produce videos in conjunction with Merdeka Day.

Held for the fourth year running, the contest is open to all students from private and government institutions of higher learning.

Participants will need to produce a three-minute video based on this year’s theme, “Cultural Malaysia, Glorious Malaysia”.

Entries are through individual submission.

1MISM president D. Maha-ganapathy said that the contest is to foster unity and provide youths with a platform to express themselves.

“We are blessed to live in a country where there are so many ethnic groups living together in harmony.

“Our cultural diversity is what strengthens us and we hope to carry this message through Malaysian youths,” said Maha-ganapathy.

“In the past, patriotic activities for young people might have been through public readings or waving flags, but the Generation-Y of today express themselves differently through new media,” he said.

“The contest will also train students to be IT-savvy and encourage them to use their tech and digital skills, something that is invaluable for graduates today,” he added.

In its first and second year, the contest was open only to Indian students but due to the overwhelming response, they decided to open it to other races as well.

“Last year, we received over 180 entries, some from Malaysian students studying overseas. We hope to get at least 300 entries this year,” said Mahaganapathy.

Up for grabs are Lenovo gadgets such as smartphones and tablets worth up to RM10,000 in total.

The videos will be reviewed by a panel of judges comprising academicians and professionals.

The closing date for entries is noon on Aug 31. Winners will be announced in September.

There will also be a mystery gift for the video with the most votes on 1MISM’s Facebook page.

For details and registration forms, log on to www.1mism.org. Videos from last year’s contest will also be available on the website.