Integrity in a den of Corruption: AICD 2022

by Jood Ammar

From the 12th until the 14th of November 2022, The KYS Debating Union alongside Axiata Group Bhd successfully joined forces in the  Axiata Integrity and Corruption Debate 2022 (AICD 2022). This event was made as a platform where students could talk about issues regarding integrity and corruption. A total of 96 students ranging from Form 1 until Form 4 joined in this debating championship.

However, before the AICD 2022 even commenced, the working committee were hard at work planning and deciding the best way for the championship run. Other than that, a crash course was held to prepare the participants for the debate. Here, the students were taught the fundamentals of debating such as the roles of each speaker, whip speeches, and so on. The KYS Debating Union even put on a mock debate to give the participants a clear view of what they were supposed to do.

On the first day of the championship, the participants were filled with great anticipation to debate against their opponents and take home the trophy. They all gathered in the Great Hall at around 2:30 pm and everyone was prepared for the first round. This round was an exhilarating one since some of the participants had never even debated, standing their ground firmly for their points.

Rounds 2 and 3 then continued. Both of these rounds were interesting and full of energy as the participants fought their way to victory. As these three rounds ended the first day, the participants who were now known as debaters went back to their dorms ready for the final preliminary round, and ready to break through to the quarter finals.

The next day came by faster than ever before. All 96 debaters have made it through to the last round. Everyone was excited and ready to debate. This round was one of the most tensed as points from several different perspectives were upheld and tossed across the table. All participants ended this round feeling anxious knowing it was the one that would decide whether they had made it to the quarter finals or not. Then came the upper half of the tournament. The quarterfinals and semifinals were rounds consisting of the best teams among the rest. These rounds were the most exciting seeing points thrown back and forth, requiring the debaters to engage with their opponents and stand firmly with their points.

Speech conveys. Speech reflects. Speech shows your true self. In the Grand Finale for the AICD 2022, two teams, Pakatan Rajin and DebayWatch, emerged victorious and qualified to debate in the final round, The final round went by the motion “This House Believes That Power Is The Cause of Corruption”. It was an extremely intense debate with a deliberation, causing a 4-3 split. This was the round to show, define, and prove who the real winners were.

After an intense debate, the deliberation made by the adjudicators resulted in Pakatan Rajin emerging victorious, bringing home the trophy. This round ended the tournament, concluding the inaugural Axiata Integrity and Corruption Debate. This competition has taught the participants speech clarity and better confidence in their speaking.

Best Speakers List:

Placing	Name	Team Name
1st	Ejaz Roslan	Arguably Perfect
2nd	Zaim Arif Iman Haris	DebayWatch NPC.E.O
3rd	Muhammad Mirza	Arguably perfect
4th	Maryam Zahra Hanna Sufia	Buenos Policy Makers
5th	Sailesh Naidu	Pakatan Rajin
6th	Syahmi Baihaqi	Outlawz
9th	Syahir Adlan	DebayWatch
10th	Ahmad Ukail Syed Farihin Aiman	Wazadtuzaan Word Dispenser

Break Results:

Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Grand Finals
Arguably Perfect	DebayWatch	DebayWatch
Buenos	Pakatan Rajin	Pakatan Rajin
DebayWatch	Taatots
How ‘bout that	Word Dispenser
KYS Swifties
Pakatan Rajin
Taatots
Word Dispenser

Motions list:

Rounds	Motions
Mock Debate	This house regrets the glorification of true crime entertainment
Round 1	This house would raise the wages of public officials
Round 2	This House Believes That minorities should exaggerate and spread misinformation on their oppression to gain traction
Round 3	This house would ban private settlements in corruption eases where there is criminal prosecution
Round 4	This house supports a ban on fake news
Quarterfinals	This house believes that privatisation will serve the public interest
Semifinals	This house would not allow countries who commit Human Rights violations from competing in International Sports Events
Grand Finals	This house believes that Power is the cause of Corruption

The KYS Debate Union wishes everyone congratulations in participating in this year’s Axiata Integrity and Corruption Debate Championship. All speeches heard were amazing and will set a standard among the KYS community. Thank you and debate on!