IPOH: The number 1641 was the “magic number” for four students from SMK St Michael’s Institution competing in the Rotary Club of Kinta’s Inter-school Quiz finals in English last Friday.
For it was the year the Dutch defeated the Portuguese to conquer Malacca – the correct answer to one of the tiebreaker questions which allowed the students to beat finalists from three other schools from Ipoh and lift the challenge trophy sponsored by Star Publications (M) Bhd.
The champions Marc Cheong, T. Suvintheran, Lee Tjen Jhung and Foong Ying Leong said it was the first time they had participated in an inter-school quiz.
“We managed to score the most with sports, science and technology questions,” said the students after the contest at YMCA Ipoh.
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WINNERS ALL:(from left Cheong,Lee,Suvintheran and Foong proudly holding their trophies after the Rotary Club of Kinta Inter-school Quiz finals in English in Ipoh on Friday. |
The first runner-up was SMK Anderson while the second and third runners-up were SMK Raja Permaisuri Bainun and SMK Perempuan Methodist respectively.
The finalists were challenged on subjects ranging from English grammar, geography, general knowledge and astronomy.
Organising committee chairman Joseph Yong said the committee had hoped the competition would, in its small way, contribute to the students’ desire to master the English language and foster goodwill among schools.
“Star Publications, which sponsored the challenge trophy, has through its (The Star's) many newspaper columns contributed much to stimulate the public’s interest in learning and improving English,” he said.
Perak Education Department training assistant director Mohd Yasin Mohamod said the department wanted everyone to realise that English was here to stay and that it was necessary for the younger generation to make a serious effort to master the language.
Also present were Rotary Club of Kinta president Felix Poon, chief quizmaster Datuk Dr M. Subramaniam and other officials.
SMK Perempuan Methodist student Lam Yat Sau took home a hamper for answering the most questions.
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