PPM 2010 at Pasir Puteh, Kelantan

Assalamualaikum

There are too many things to revise by now and I have yet to settle many other non-academic stuffs. Fine though, this is a real challenge to me on prioritizing.

Just to conform to the KPI (Key Performance Index) I have myself set for this blog, this post is supposed to be for last week's allocation. And this time around, perhaps as timely as it is, my post will be about PPM (Piala Perdana Menteri), a debating championship involving all boarding schools (SBPs) nationwide. This year, it took place at SMS Pasir Puteh in Kelantan. Oh my God, it took me 2 days until I realized that it is actually an all-girl school! Well, doesn't make any difference. Neither am I flirty enough to benefit from that. Just that I thought we have Amina Wadod there. Fortunately, we don't ;)

MCKK, Malay College Kuala Kangsar participated in the tourney and this year both English and Malay Language debating teams made it to the national level. It is important to tell about this as there has been a major change in the system and the way PPM was conducted recently. In the previous years, all schools, or rather SBPs were coming for PPM but this year, only the champion and first runners-up from the zone level championship were making their way to national level PPM. 

Hence, we have less teams than we had before. Chances of winning could be more or even less, depending on how we deal with it. It can be more, because there are less teams to be defeated to go to finals. On the other hand, it may be less, as we may be on the side of the losing teams, biased motions etc. you name it.

For both categories, we have 10 teams from different schools placing their bet to proceed to the finals to be held on the 31st of July this year. MCKK BM team was grouped with TKC, SBPI Gombak, SBPI Temerloh and SMS Lahad Datu. We lost two matches and won other two over Lahad Datu and Temerloh. Those with 3 wins made it to semis so that was the end of the battle for these boys this year. 

As for the English team, it was pretty better. They were in the same group with TKC, SAS, SBPI Temerloh and the host, SMS Pasir Puteh. They made it to semi, fortunately but well, to cut this short they have to let SAS en route to final despite some tangible facts that they were much better than SAS. Well, people will accuse me of giving a loser's excuse here, but hey, if you were there, you would have agreed with me that their third speaker should have been the reason why MCKK should win the debate in the first place- if you are neutral and impartial enough. ;) But well said, bygone is bygone and what matters now is how do we look at it and there must be lessons for every occurence in life. At the very least, we have to admit that Allah has the power and ultimate decision on when to let luck be in favor of us in terms of winning- hey it's not that we do not win, it's just that we will, when Allah wills it such, one day again insya Allah, amiin..

Kinda sleepy to write more though. But that is that. What's of utmost importance is this- I did my part as best as I could (never enough, yes I agree, I felt so, too) and drive myself out of God knows how much uncertainties and hesitation to learn from life long lessons that I can grab from all around me. After all, life is not that long is it?

Take care.

Assalamualaikum.