Apply for Team Malaysia 2025 Now!
We’re ecstatic to kickstart the new selection cycle of our national debate team! Team Malaysia made history in 2023 and we have only just begun. We are aiming to build a new chapter of our history and we are looking for fresh talents to join us on our journey.
We are selecting Team Malaysia 2025 for the World Schools Debating Championship which will be held in Panama City, Panama on 22 July - 1 August 2025.
The process and timeline of the selections of Team Malaysia 2025 is as follows:
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All candidates must submit their online application by the 4th of October 2024.
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Candidates who opt for the Open Tryouts will compete virtually on the 6th of October 2024
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Sixty of the top candidates from the above two processes will compete virtually in the Final Selections on the 26th & 27th of October 2024.
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This year, we are excited to announce that all three processes will be free of cost. We thank our supporters, partners and team members for their diligent hard work in ensuring that WSDC Team Malaysia remains accessible to the community and sustainable in the long-term.
All former members of all iterations of Team Malaysia Challenger Squad and Future Squad will be fast-tracked into the Final Selections after submitting their online application. The Selections Committee may consider expanding the size of the Final Selections depending on the pool of applicants.
Team Malaysia 2025 Open Tryouts
Date: 6 October 2024
Time: 9.30am to 6pm
Format: WSDC (without reply speeches, 30 minutes' preparation, all impromptu motions)
Platform: Zoom & Discord
Fee: Free of cost
Registration Deadline: 29th of September 2024
Participants will compete in 3 preliminary rounds and 1 elimination round. There will be no matter test and all rounds are silent rounds. The number of qualifying candidates from the Open Tryouts are not predetermined, and will depend on the decision of the Selections Committee.
The Open Tryouts has been created to allow participants with limited accomplishments and tournament experience to showcase their debating abilities, and earn a spot in the Final Selections. This process is optional, and candidates with strong merit may opt to not compete in the Open Tryouts and apply solely on the strength of their online application.
Apply to join Team Malaysia 2025 here!
About WSDC Malaysia
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The Ministry of Education Malaysia is the formal Team Manager of the national debate team as recognised by WSDC. Historically, Team Malaysia only attended WSDC when the conditions permitted it.
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Beginning in 2011, the Malaysian Institute for Debate and Public Speaking was given the mandate to manage and train the national team, where Team Malaysia became a staple competitor at WSDC.
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In 2019, Nous Academy & Events was given the mandate to train and manage the national team where a team of first-timers ranked seventh at WSDC and ended as Octofinalists.
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Nous Academy subsequently transitioned Team Malaysia to a newfound organisation named the Malaysian World School Debate Education Society (MWSDES), a non-profit organisation that would be continuing the good work from the foundations set by its predecessors. The year 2020 marked an era of new beginnings for Team Malaysia as MWSDES was given the long-term mandate to manage and train the national debate team.
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Team Malaysia has gone from strength to strength in the last 11 years. Team Malaysia has broken into elimination rounds a total of 9 times. In 2015, Team Malaysia broke its ceiling for the first time by being the Quarterfinalists of the WSDC, and broke yet another ceiling by ranking 1st in the whole world in 2018. In the last 3 years, Team Malaysia has reached the Quarterfinals consecutively.
Team Malaysia Squad
Challenger Squad
The Challenger Squad contains the national team members, its alternates and those with a prospect of qualifying into the national team. Every year the Challenger Squad is composed of 5 national team members and 2 - 4 alternates.
Future Squad
The Future Squad contains young debaters with the potential to qualify as members of the Challenger Squad in future years. A Future Squad member must be from 14 to 16 years old. Every year we select between 10-12 individuals to be a part of the Future Squad.
Why Apply for WSDC?
Recognition by the Ministry of Education as the national debate team representatives of Malaysia
Fully funded participation to competitions as Team Malaysia on a monthly basis
Strong support systems for your competitive journey
Friendships that last you a lifetime and an experience that sets you apart from your peers!
Free consistent training by accomplished coaches
Access to high-quality debate resources
Global networking with highly-competitive peers
Opportunity to travel to other country
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How do I join Team Malaysia 2025?All Team Malaysia candidates must submit the application form by the 4th of October 2024.
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Am I eligible to apply for Team Malaysia 2025?To qualify for a position in Team Malaysia 2025, you must fulfil the following requirements: You must have reached your 14th birthday, and you must not have reached your 20th birthday on the 22nd of July 2025. You must have been a full-time student in Malaysia in 2024 or you will be a full-time student in Malaysia in 2025. You must not be enrolled in an undergraduate program at a tertiary institution. If you are enrolled in a post-secondary or a pre-tertiary program at a tertiary institution, you must not represent said tertiary institution as a debater in varsity competitions.
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Can Non-Malaysians or non-citizens apply?Yes. Any student studying in a Malaysian school or institution who fulfils the above requirements may be considered for Team Malaysia 2025.
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What do I need to submit in the application form?Applicants must submit their personal details, their debate accomplishments and a debate video of themselves. The debate motion will be stated on the application form.
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Do I have to participate in the Open Tryouts even after submitting my application?The Open Tryouts is an optional phase for Team Malaysia candidates. For candidates who do not have a lot of accomplishments, or younger talents who only started debating relatively recently, the Open Tryouts is a great way to showcase your debating abilities to the selectors and guarantee your spot. We recommend younger debating talents who are aiming to be chosen for the Future Squad to compete in the Open Tryouts. Those who skip the Open Tryouts may still be selected for the Final Selections thanks to the strength of their online application.
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How many debaters will be selected for the Final Selections?A total of 60 top debaters in Malaysia will be selected. All former members of Team Malaysia, including the Future Squad members, will be fast-tracked to the Final Selections. The Selections Committee may consider expanding the size of the Final Selections depending on the pool of applicants.
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What fees are applicable at the Open Tryouts and the Final Selections?For the 2025 team cycle, the entirety of the selections process will be free of charge. We thank our supporters, partners and team members for their diligent hard work in ensuring that WSDC Team Malaysia remains accessible to the community and sustainable in the long-term.
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Do we have to compete on behalf of our schools?All candidates compete as individuals. You will be paired with other candidates in the debate rounds, and you will be assigned a speaking position. We recommend all candidates to familiarise themselves with all speaker roles.
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What format will be used in the Open Tryouts and the Final Selections?All candidates will compete in the WSDC format with two adjustments made: the preparation time will be shortened to 30 minutes for each round, and reply speeches will be eliminated from the debate. All rounds will be silent rounds.
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Is there a matter/knowledge test in the Open Tryouts and the Final Selections?There is no matter test for the Open Tryouts, but there will be a matter test in the Final Selections. The candidates for the Final Selections will be given the reading topics one week before the event.
Application Steps
Step 1
Sign up to our newsletter and follow our socials. You will get an email when the next cycle opens.
Step 2
Complete the online application form by submitting your personal details, debate accomplishments and complete a critical thinking essay.
Step 3
Compete in the Open Tryouts if you do not have the debate accomplishments necessary to move on to the final selections.
Step 4
The Top 60 candidates will compete in the Final Selections whereby the Challenger Squad and the Future Squad will be selected.
*A selected number of individuals will pass and compete in the Final Selections based on the strength of their online application.
*Individuals who have been accepted into former iterations of Team Malaysia will automatically qualify to the final selections, and will only need to fill in their personal details.