Rivals again, but Nur Akmal wins this time
2010/07/18
By Suzieana Uda Nagu and Sim Bak Heng
Nur Akmal Sharizal of SK Jejawi, Perlis’ SIR Challenge champion in the primary school category, acknowledging the gallant efforts of her spelling bee rival, first runner-up Nadine Qathira Sahzan of SK Sena (right). — Picture by Rizal Braim
Nur Akmal Sharizal of SK Jejawi, Perlis’ SIR Challenge champion in the primary school category, acknowledging the gallant efforts of her spelling bee rival, first runner-up Nadine Qathira Sahzan of SK Sena (right). — Picture by Rizal Braim
Hariharan Raj Muniandy pulls off a win in a tiebreaker round to be declared Johor’s SIR Challenge champion in the primary school category. — Picture by Zulkarnain Ahmad Tajuddin
Hariharan Raj Muniandy pulls off a win in a tiebreaker round to be declared Johor’s SIR Challenge champion in the primary school category. — Picture by Zulkarnain Ahmad Tajuddin
KANGAR: Nur Akmal Sharizal liked to spell along with RHB New Straits Times National Spell-It-Right (SIR) Challenge contestants whenever she watched the pre-recorded episodes on TV3.
Most of the time, the 12-year-old from SK Jejawi would get them right.
The Year Six pupil did not pass up the chance to represent her school at the SIR Challenge when it was held at Dewan Kapitol here yesterday.
The first-time contestant in the primary school category emerged victorious in the competition and walked away with RM2,000, a plaque and certificate.
She will represent Perlis at the National Challenge on Aug 7 at the Malaysia Tourism Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
The soft-spoken eldest child of university lecturers attributed her spelling prowess to reading extensively.
"I have been reading since I was 6," said Nur Akmal. "I read books and newspapers as well as surf the Internet to find new words to add to my vocabulary."
She said her English had improved greatly since she attended school in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia between 2005 and 2009 while her parents -- Universiti Utara Malaysia lecturer Rohana Abdul Rahman and Universiti Teknologi Mara, Arau lecturer Sharizal Hasan -- were completing their doctorates (in law and chemistry respectively) at the University of Queensland.
The family returned to Malaysia last June.
"However, reading widely can help anyone do well in the SIR Challenge," added Nur Akmal.
Her younger sister, Nur Aiman, 10, also took part but was knocked out in the preliminary rounds.
Nur Akmal breezed through words such as "methodical", "procession", "souvenir" and "combustible" at the finals.
She was announced the winner after her opponent, first runner-up Nadine Qathira Sahzan of SK Sena, misspelled her final word "proficiency" despite sailing through "gelatinous", "notable" and "hexagon".
Nur Akmal and Nadine Qathira had both taken part in another state-level spelling contest earlier this year. While Nur Akmal was eliminated in the first round, her 10-year-old opponent became the state champion.
Yesterday, Yeng Yong Kai of SJKC Khoon Aik came in third in while Nur Dania Dayini Muhammad Yusri of SK Kayang seized the fourth place in the SIR Challenge. They won RM1,000 and RM800 respectively.
Anis Md Soki of SK Putra was in fifth place and took home RM500.
In Johor Baru, it was a heart-stopping moment for Hariharan Raj Muniandy, 12, after he spelled "lexicographer" correctly in the final tiebreaker round of the primary school category of the SIR Challenge at Johor Baru City Square yesterday.
It was the first time the Year Six pupil of SK Taman Bukit Indah had encountered the word and he could not read the expression on presenter Jeremy Lee's face after he spelt the word.
It was a tense moment that quickly gave way to joy when Lee congratulated him and declared him Johor champion.
"Luck was on my side," said Hariharan, who walked away with the first prize of RM2,000.
He defeated Nurul Inani Ab Samad, 11, of SK (P) Sultan Ibrahim and Siow Zhi Jie, 11, of SJKC Foon Yew 2, who took the second and third prizes respectively.
Isaac Mok Kai Xiang, 12, of SK Taman Impian Emas and Lim We Ting, 12, of SJKC Pandan came in fourth and fifth respectively.
Hariharan, who ranked the difficulty of the challenge as "medium range", attributed his skill in spelling to his love for reading since he was 5.
He reads an average of 90 to 100 books a year and has a particular liking for novels. Robinson Crusoe and The Swiss Family Robinson are his top favourites.
"I will use the prize money to buy plenty of reference books," said Hariharan, who liked tigers and jaguars and hoped to become a zoologist.
His father, Muniandy Kannan, 43, a quality assurance manager, said he liked to buy plenty of books to inculcate the reading habit in Hariharan and his two younger brothers.
Muniandy said that as Hariharan liked reading the sports section of the NST, he made it a point to pick up words from the newspaper to test his son's spelling regularly.
"He did well when I tested him. That's why I had confidence in him today," he said, adding that he had bought The Book of Knowledge for his sons six months ago.
Hariharan's happiness was also shared by his mother Latha Ramachandran, 42, and his younger brothers, Hrishheekesh Raj, 11, and Shreeram, 4.
New Straits Times Press corporate governance general manager Mohd Hisham Mohd Shazli and RHB Bank Berhad Alor Star 1 branch manager Lian Su-Ching presented the prizes in Kangar.
NSTP event management manager Shamsaini Salim and RHB Bank Berhad area manager (southern region) Asoka Balan gave away the prizes in Johor Baru.
McDonald's Malaysia sponsored lunch for the pupils and their teachers.
Read more: Rivals again, but Nur Akmal wins this time http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/28badfish/Article#ixzz0u27XJLnG
