PUTRAJAYA: Seventeen-year-old Justin Jerome Aw’s essay on environmental damage caused by human greed won him the gold medal in the DKLS Linguistic Ambassador Award 2018 Essay Writing Competition.
The fifth former from SMK St Joseph Kuching, Sarawak, received US$1,000 (RM4,140), a seven-day study tour to the the Australian National University (ANU), a RM500 book voucher, certificate, trophy and 17 points for his curriculum grading.
“This is my first time participating in the competition. I didn’t expect my essay would bring me to Australia. This is definitely worth it,” he said at the DKLS Linguistic Ambassador Award 2018 Essay Writing Competition award presentation ceremony, here, today.
Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching who presented the award to Aw urged organisers to continue holding the competition to improve students’ mastery of the English language.
A total of 272 schools submitted 1,601 essays for the competition.
Organised by DKLS Foundation and its partners, including ELS Language Centres, ICT Learning and ANU, the competition is aimed at promoting and enhancing the use of the English language among Malaysian secondary students, as well as cultivating in them an appreciation for creative writing, the power of expression and the value of linguistic excellence.
The competition which was only for Form 4 and Form 5 students, required them to take on English learning online for nine weeks before sending in their essays.