TERAPUNG ANTARA HORIZON

1.  Dua-dua foto ini menggambarkan suasana pertandingan akhir DEBAT ALAM SEKITAR(DAS). Tapi yang kedua di bawah itu, diambil 25 tahun selepas yang pertama. I am honoured to be part of this long history, and significant legacy.

Foto circa 1991 itu menggabungkan pasukan UM (diketuai oleh saya sendiri) dan UPM, yang baru saja selesai berentap. It was a real tough battle. We won the best speaker, butlost the title. Foto 2015 itu pula adalah barisan hakim (juga diketuai oleh saya); dan YDP yang mempengerusikan pertandingan akhir, pertarungan antara UIAM dan UiTM. Coincidently, it was also a very tight match. UiTM got the best speaker, but the cup went to UIAM.

2.  Debat memperkasa diri dari segi mental dan atitud. Ia juga mempertajam daya penyampaian, bujukan dan seni mendengar. Kombinasi ini membantu kita bertindak lebih efektif dalam komunikasi. Sepanjang kerjaya akademik, saya sudah membida sebanyak 11 geran penyelidikan selaku 'penyelidik prinsipal' (maksudnya saya sendiri menulis dan membentang proposal; tidak termasuk projek di mana saya hanya jadi ahli sahaja).

Rekod bidaan geran penyelidikan saya selaku 'pembida utama' (ketua projek) adalah 10/11. So far, I won all my applications from international funders, 4 projects awarded by three different countries. And at the national level, I only failed once to secure funding. When I was still debating, I did not win everything. Not even 50% of the championships I participated in.

But the collective experience, from years of involvement in debate, has equipped me with some of the most needed skills in academia. E.g. the ability to establish a clear structure of idea, and logical framework of arguments – under the pressure of time. And of course, the ability to persuade people.

3.  My point is: there is so much you can learn, even if you lose so many times. So speaking of the recently concluded DAS – don’t get demotivated if your dreams are shattered again and again. Pick your lessons and move on. One fine day in the future, when it truly matters – you would get rewarded for what you didn’t get in the past. Then you may eventually realise the real value of your participation in all those events.

"Forget what hurt you in the past, but never forget what it taught you. However, if it taught you to hold onto grudges, seek revenge, not forgive or show compassion, to categorize people as good or bad, to distrust and be guarded with your feelings then you didn’t learn a thing. God doesn’t bring you lessons to close your heart.” ― Shannon L. Alder

— feeling terapung-apung di antara horizon panjang deja vu, refleksi dan inspirasi.

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