The National Pharmacy Debate Competition (NPDC) is an annual debate competition organized by the Malaysian Pharmacy Students’ Association (MyPSA) following the Asian Parliamentary Debating Format. This year, the official hosts for the 9th MyPSA NPDC 2023 are the MSU Pharmacy Club (MPhC) and the SEGi Pharmacy Students’ Association (SPSA). With the theme “Thought on Ice, Heat of Dispute” taking center stage, this event offers an exclusive opportunity for pharmacy students from across the country to network and enhance their interpersonal skills while gaining new knowledge. NPDC 2023 also plays a pivotal role in developing students’ critical thinking abilities and serves as a platform for discussing current healthcare and social-related issues.
The registration process for NPDC 2023 took place in two phases. Phase 1 registration was open from July 21st to August 4th, 2023, while Phase II registration occurred from August 8th to August 18th, 2023. The main event was scheduled for September 9th and 10th, 2023, at MSU.
Participation in this competition offers enticing rewards. The champion of the competition will receive a grand prize consisting of RM500 in cash, a trophy, and a certificate. Each university is eligible to send a maximum of two teams, with each team comprising three main participants and one reserve participant.
In preparation for the competition, a debate masterclass was conducted on August 20th, 2023, with the theme “Navigating Verbal Discourse.” The distinguished speaker, Mr. Patrick Tan Peng Jun, shared valuable tips and tricks on how to boost confidence in public speaking. The event attracted a total of six teams, with the University of Malaya (UM) sending two teams, and MSU, Taylor’s University, SEGi University, and the University of Cyberjaya (UoC) each sending one team. The competition was fierce, but Taylor’s University emerged as the victor.
Additionally, the NPDC 2023 recognized the Top 5 Best Speakers, who demonstrated outstanding debating skills. These exceptional speakers are Chong Zi Ying, Lim Zhi Xuan, Ieriq Rudy Bin Yuhanis, Divya A/P Sashendran, and Yashawani A/P Selvaraja. Abilashinee A/P Govindasamy received the prestigious title of Best Final Round Speaker, acknowledging her exceptional performance during the final round of the competition.
Written by: Wong Yi Hao
