JOHOR BARU: Representing Malaysia on the international stage is a dream come true for a Johor student who earned a place in the UK Global Final of an English language competition.
C. Kirisham, 16, was selected among the Top Five in Malaysia in the SiL English Test 2025, an international competition that assesses students on reading, grammar and vocabulary.
The Malaysian selection attracted about 100 participants in his category, with students taking a 40-question multiple-choice preliminary test.
The highest-performing students received the Top Performer award, followed by gold, silver and bronze awards.
"I feel extremely honoured and quite excited to be able to represent Malaysia.
"I also feel a small sense of patriotism that comes with it, as I am not going there only as an individual, but also representing my country among students across the globe," he said in a recent interview.
Kirisham’s interest in English developed during his lower secondary years when he began reading more books.
"What I enjoy most is probably the words themselves, and the way they can be arranged to make a sentence with a deeper meaning. I really like how a sentence can bring an idea to life through imagination," he said.
He said improving his command of English required consistent effort, rather than relying on natural ability.
During Year Nine, he set himself the goal of achieving full marks in English, Science and Mathematics in the Checkpoint examinations, prompting him to identify and work on his weaknesses.
For English, he focused particularly on improving his "Writer's Effect" and general writing skills.
"It proved that being good at a subject doesn't mean being naturally gifted, but also about recognising mistakes and going the extra mile to cross the hurdles," he said.
For the competition, Kirisham said he prepared mainly by keeping up with his English studies and reading, while strengthening his grammar and vocabulary through schoolwork and past-year papers.
He said this helped him feel more relaxed during the competition, as he did not have to follow a specific training schedule.
Looking ahead to the global final, Kirisham hopes to perform at a similar level to his achievement in the Malaysian round while making the most of the opportunity.
"I want to prove that I deserve to be there and perform to the best of my ability. At the same time, I want to enjoy the experience and learn from the competing students as well," he said.
He said he was not particularly nervous about competing against students from other countries, as he viewed the event as a learning experience.
"It will be interesting to hear about other students' experiences and see how I compare to the people that have grown up in different areas of the world," he said.
Kirisham credited his parents as his strongest pillars of support, saying they had helped him balance his studies, extracurricular activities and competitions while constantly encouraging him to keep pushing forward.
The Global Final is scheduled for Dec 16 to 19 in Oxford, England.
