MALAY LANGUAGE ELOCUTION CONTEST ATTRACTS WORLDWIDE PARTICIPATION

PUTRAJAYA, March 5 (Bernama) -- The 2010 International Malay Language
Elocution Contest has attracted 56 participants from 51 countries, which the
organiser said was proof that the language was growing worldwide.

The contest's secretariat head Abdul Halim Ibrahim said participants
comprised students of higher learning institutions.

"The contest is to promote Malay language at the international level," he
told Bernama after attending the contest's semi-final at Putrajaya International
Convention Centre, here.

Of the 56 participants, eight have qualified for Friday's finals,
including Syazwan Shuhaimi, representing Malaysia.

Syazwan is competing in the Nusantara category. Others in the category are
Leonora Lydia Gebby Wentuk of Indonesia and Chai Lany Sles of Cambodia.


For the International Category, the finalists are Ponomar Karina from
Armenia, Zhang Song from China, Natalya Budanova from Russia, Zara Maxwell Smith
from Australia and Josee Hunnekes from Germany.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who is also the patron of the
competition, is expected to open the finals which will be aired live over RTM1
at 8.45pm.

The price is US$5,000 for the winner, while the second and third placing
will receive US$3,000 and US$2,000 respectively.

-- BERNAMA