Saraswathy English Challenge
Empowering Young Voices for a Brighter Future
A B40 ESG initiative by
Congratulations, Finalists!
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the top 3 winners of this prestigious competition! Your exceptional talent and dedication have propelled you to the pinnacle of success. Well done!
We would also like to acknowledge and congratulate the other 7 finalists for their outstanding achievements. Your remarkable performances have earned you a well-deserved place among the elite competitors. Bravo!
To all the participants, finalists, and winners, we commend your hard work, passion, and commitment. Your journey in this competition has been inspiring, and we have no doubt that you will continue to excel and achieve great things in the future. Keep reaching for the stars!
THAMAYANTHYI GANAPATHY
SJKT ST. JOSEPH
KUALA LUMPUR
FIrst Prize Winners
YAALINI A P SELVARAJ
SJKT PJS1
SELANGOR
Second Prize Winner
PREETHIGGA THIYAGU
SJKT CONVENT
NEGERI SEMBILAN
Third Prize Winner
DIVYASHINI NAIR
SJKT LADANG RENJOK
PAHANG
Top 10 Winner
JANARTEN PARTIBAN
SJKT LADANG HIGHLANDS
SELANGOR
Top 10 Winner
JANUSHAA PANNEERSELVAM
SJKT TUN SAMBANTHAN
NEGERI SEMBILAN
Top 10 Winner
SITAARSAN SUTHAGAR
SJKT TAMAN TUN AMINAH
JOHOR
Top 10 Winner
TUSHAN SIVA
SJKT LADANG TEBRAU
JOHOR
Top 10 Winner
VAISHVINI NAIDU
SJKT LADANG MENTERI
PAHANG
Top 10 Winner
VIJAYA TARSHINI POOBALAN
SJKT BANDAR MAHKOTA CHERAS
SELANGOR
Top 10 Winner
People's Popular Choice
We also thank our audience for participating in the poll and we are pleased to share with you the top 3 people's popular choice, who will receive a token of our appreciation of RM 550, RM 500, and RM 450 respectively.
PREETHIGGA THIYAGU
SJKT CONVENT
NEGERI SEMBILAN
SAUMEETHA SAKTHIVEL
SJKT ST. PHILOMENA
PERAK
KERENSA JACKSON
SJKT KANGKAR PULAI
JOHOR
Re-Watch the Grand Finals
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide students from disenfranchised minority groups in Malaysia with equal opportunities for success by empowering them with English public speaking skills. With these skills, we aim to open up a world of possibilities in education, employment, and entrepreneurship, which will promote social mobility and break the cycle of disenfranchisement that has plagued the community for far too long. We hope to provide these students with the tools they need to achieve their goals and unlock their full potential.
Why English?
English is the language of diplomacy, business, science, and technology. The global reach of English as the lingua franca of international business and trade creates increased opportunities for employability and entrepreneurship. It is the language of instruction in many universities and academic institutions worldwide, providing access to resources and information. English also opens access to better healthcare, social services, and cultural exchange, all while boosting self-confidence and self-esteem.
Who is this for?
The first edition of this competition is aimed at Indian B40 students aged 11 and 12, studying in Tamil vernacular schools throughout Malaysia. This age group is targeted as it allows for the development of public speaking skills and boosts confidence while also promoting the importance of English proficiency at an early age.
Challenges of the Indian B40 Group
The Indian B40 community in Malaysia faces numerous challenges including historical displacement from changes in the plantation sector, low education levels, high suicide rates, and lower rates of house and share ownership. Additionally, youth alienation has led to a rise in juvenile delinquency cases, criminal activities, and gang involvement. The community also experiences a lack of private and corporate employment opportunities, often working in lower-paying jobs and competing with foreign migrant workers.
"Basis Bay's primary requirement for hiring in Malaysia is how well our candidates conduct themselves in the English language.
Speak any language as well as you wish to but master the English language to enhance your future employability and entrepreneurial opportunities both locally and internationally.
Speaking English well will definitely give the Malaysian B40s a leg up.”
- Dato' Praba Thiagarajah
Executive Chairman, Basis Bay
The Saraswathy English Challenge is a part of our historical commitment to ESG and is the brainchild of Dato' Praba Thiagarajah who first conceptualized it in 2015. In the same year, Dato' Praba initiated an English-speaking event for students from Vernacular Schools in Penang. More than a decade ago, Dato' Praba also organized the Saraswathy IT Challenge for young graduates, enabling them to become technopreneurs.
These challenges have been named after Dato' Praba's late mother, who always looked out for the marginalized. Both Dato’ Praba’s parents the late Mr. Thiagarajah and Mdm. Saraswathy were his early role models and played a very important supportive role in all his endeavors. He is often quoted saying that he is lucky to have been born into a middle-class family with supportive parents that always prioritized good values.
Showcase your English skills.
Grand Prize RM20,000!
First Prize
Student - RM20,000
School - RM5,000
Second Prize
Student - RM10,000
School - RM3,000
Third Prize
Student - RM5,000
School - RM2,000
Other Finalists
Students - RM1,000
School - RM500
All participants will receive a certificate of participation. The schools with the highest number of participants (gross and percentage of representation) will also receive recognition and token prizes.
Three Stages of the Competition
1
Video Submissions
-
Record a 1-minute video of yourself speaking in English on one of the following topics:
- My favourite subject in school and why
- My favourite book or movie and why
- My favourite sport or hobby and why
WhatsApp your video to +60173555738 -
Deadline: 7 April 2023
-
The first stage is an invitation to all eligible students to submit their 1-minute English speaking video to us.
-
In this stage they will be judged based on their fluency, vocabulary, grammar, content, and organization.
2
Semi-Finals
-
30 participants will be selected for the semi-finals round.
-
The semi-finals will be held online.
-
Date: 6 May 2023 at 4.00 pm, to be live-streamed on Saraswathy English Challenge YouTube Channel
-
There will be background checks to ensure that the students are from B40 households based on the B40 income range of their state and the per capita income of the household.
-
The 30 semi-finalists will receive public speaking training to help them improve their performance in the online semi-finals round, which will have at least 3 judges to judge them on their speaking skills, content, and presentation.
3
Finals
-
10 participants will be selected for the final round.
-
The finals will be held face-to-face in a grand event.
-
Date: 28 May 2023 at 7 pm, to be live-streamed from Le Meridien, Kuala Lumpur
-
They will be judged by a panel of at least 5 judges, which will include English public-speaking experts. They will be judged on their speaking skills, content, presentation, and Q&A with the judges during which they will need to showcase their creativity and analytical skills.
-
The finalists will also receive training prior to the grand finals.
Semi-Finalists Announcement
We are delighted to announce that we have received an overwhelming response of 1200 participants representing 250 Tamil schools across Malaysia. We would like to commend all the participants for their remarkable effort, enthusiasm, and performance. It's a matter of great pride for us to witness the impressive English speaking skills of students belonging to the Indian B40 community. We are excited to announce the semi-finalists below who have been selected based on their language proficiency, content, and B40 background checks. We wish all the semi-finalists the very best for the upcoming semi-finals and encourage all other participants to keep up their efforts in mastering the English language for a promising future. All the participants will receive a certificate of participation.
ASHANTI OLIVIA
SJKT VIVEKANDA PJ
SELANGOR
DAKSHAYEN MUNIANDY
SJKT KAMPUNG PANDAN
KUALA LUMPUR
DIVYASHINI NAIR
SJKT LADANG RENJOK
PAHANG
FRANCIS SEBASTIAN
SJKT BATU CAVES
SELANGOR
GHANGGESHWER VAIRAM
SJKT TANJONG RAMBUTAN
PERAK
ILAAKIAH SUGUMAR
SJKT PERMATANG TINGGI
PENANG
ILAMARAN SUBRAMANIAN
SJKT VIVEKANDA PJ
Kuala Lumpur
JANARTEN PARTIBAN
SJKT LADANG HIGHLANDS
SELANGOR
JANUSHAA PANNEERSELVAM
SJKT TUN SAMBANTHAN
NEGERI SEMBILAN
JHOSHNA M. DURAIRAJOO
SJKT LADANG VALLAMBROSA
SELANGOR
KAYALVILI AP SASIKUMAR
SJKT LADANG TEBONG
MELAKA
KERENSA JACKSON
SJKT KANGKAR PULAI
JOHOR
KHANEESA ANBKARASAN
SJKT TAMAN TUN AMINAH
JOHOR
MAVEEN DAVE NAIDU
SJKT BARATHY
KEDAH
NANMOHLY SUGUMARAN
SJKT PERMATANG TINGGI
PENANG
PANIMALAR RAGUNATHAN
SJKT LADANG GLENMARIE
SELANGOR
POOVILI
SJKT EFFINGHAM
SELANGOR
PREETHIGGA THIYAGU
SJKT CONVENT
NEGERI SEMBILAN
SAUMEETHA SAKTHIVEL
SJKT ST. PHILOMENA
PERAK
SITAARSAN SUTHAGAR
SJKT TAMAN TUN AMINAH
JOHOR
TANIAMITHRA VEDANSHI
SJKT BANDAR MAHKOTA CHERAS
SELANGOR
TANUSHKA DHANABALASINGAM
SJKT SUNGAI TOK PAWANG
KEDAH
THAMAYANTHYI GANAPATHY
SJKT ST. JOSEPH
KUALA LUMPUR
THASHVINI KRISHNAKUMAR
SJKT MAK MANDIN
PENANG
TUSHAN SIVA
SJKT LADANG TEBRAU
JOHOR
VAISHVINI NAIDU
SJKT LADANG MENTERI
PAHANG
VARSHSHANA NIRMAL
SJKT TELOK DATOK
SELANGOR
VIJAYA TARSHINI POOBALAN
SJKT BANDAR MAHKOTA CHERAS
SELANGOR
VISHAALINI RAJAN
SJKT RAMAKRISHNA
PENANG
YAALINI A P SELVARAJ
SJKT PJS1
SELANGOR
Meet the Finals Judges
Datuk R. Karunakaran
Datuk R. Karunakaran is currently serving on the board of several companies. At 72 years old, he is a Post Graduate in Industrial Project Planning from the University of Bradford, UK, and a Bachelor of Economics (Accounting) with Honours from the University of Malaya, Malaysia. With a background in public administration, Datuk Karunakaran served the Malaysian Investment Development
Authority (MIDA) for 36 years, holding various positions including Director and Director-General. He currently holds directorship in Maybank Ageas Holdings Bhd (as Chairman), Etiqa International Holdings Sdn Bhd (as Chairman), Maybank Singapore Ltd (as Chairman), and ILB Group Berhad (formerly known as Integrated Logistics Berhad, as Chairman). He also served on the board of Malayan Banking Berhad previously
Rafiq Jumabhoy
Rafiq Jumabhoy is a prominent business leader skilled in strategic and operational problem solving. He successfully navigated the 1982, 1989, 1997, and 2008 economic crises. He founded Orkney Investments in 1996 and relocated to Kuala Lumpur. With 40+ years of international experience, Jumabhoy specializes in crisis management and pro-bono work. He’s the Founder Director of the National Arts Council and the first non-government member of Singapore’s Civil Service College Board of Governors. Jumabhoy holds an Honours degree in Politics, Philosophy & Economics from Oxford and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. He has leadership roles in the Young Presidents Organization, prioritizing lifelong learning.
Vimala Vadivale
Vimalavathy K Vadivale is an experienced teacher with nearly 40 years of teaching under her belt. She has a Diploma in Education: Teaching English as a Second Language and a BA (Hons) in English from University Malaya. Starting as an English teacher in 1983, she realized the profound impact of influencing young minds. After 6 years of teaching, during which time, she represented Malaysia in the Chess Olympiad, she moved to the Curriculum Development Centre of the Ministry
of Education. She encountered the challenges faced by the B40 Indian community and focused on making a difference one child at a time, Vimala became involved with NGOs and worked closely with the Desa Mentari community. Currently, she is actively engaged with school-going children at the Taman Megah Centre.
Dr. Aneeta Sundararaj (a former lawyer) is an award-winning short story writer whose work has been featured in a national newspaper, various journals, magazines, ezines and anthologies. Aneeta’s bestselling novel, ‘The Age of Smiling Secrets’ was shortlisted for the Book Award 2020 in Malaysia. Throughout, Aneeta continued to pursue her academic interests and, in 2021, successfully completed a doctoral thesis entitled ‘Management of Prosperity Among Artistes in Malaysia’. Aneeta gives back to the writing community by managing the Great Story Competition (@httags) which is hosted on her website called ‘How to Tell a Great Story’.
Aneeta Sundararaj
Shari Wiemer
Shari Wiemer is a National Marketing Manager at Cambridge English For Life, where she has designed and implemented successful digital marketing strategies, increased social media followers, and led engaging school programs. Prior to her current role, she worked as a Center Director at Sylvan Learning and as a Director of Career Services at Charter College and Kaplan College. With an MBA from USC Marshall School of Business and a BA in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara, Shari has supervised staff, established metrics and reporting processes, and implemented procedures to improve results throughout her career. In her free time, she volunteered around the world by immersing herself in local cultures.
Meet the Semi-Finals Judges
Aneeta Sundararaj
Dr. Aneeta Sundararaj (a former lawyer) is an award-winning short story writer whose work has been featured in a national newspaper, various journals, magazines, ezines and anthologies. Aneeta’s bestselling novel, ‘The Age of Smiling Secrets’ was shortlisted for the Book Award 2020 in Malaysia. Throughout, Aneeta continued to pursue her academic interests and, in 2021, successfully completed a doctoral thesis entitled ‘Management of Prosperity Among Artistes in Malaysia’. Aneeta gives back to the writing community by managing the Great Story Competition (@httags) which is hosted on her website called ‘How to Tell a Great Story’.
Shari Wiemer
Shari Wiemer is a National Marketing Manager at Cambridge English For Life, where she has designed and implemented successful digital marketing strategies, increased social media followers, and led engaging school programs. Prior to her current role, she worked as a Center Director at Sylvan Learning and as a Director of Career Services at Charter College and Kaplan College. With an MBA from USC Marshall School of Business and a BA in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara, Shari has supervised staff, established metrics and reporting processes, and implemented procedures to improve results throughout her career. In her free time, she volunteered around the world by immersing herself in local cultures.
Usha Thiagarajah
Usha Thiagarajah has 40+ years of editorial experience starting from writing for children's school books at 19. She authored several fiction and non-fiction series, including "Cintai Malaysia" about Malaysian states. After obtaining an LLB Hons degree from the UK, she worked as an editor for legal publishing companies, including Malaysian Current Law Journal. During her tenure, she reported many Malaysian and international legal cases, and also selected legal articles for local publications. She headed a legislation team to update Malaysian legislation and published corresponding hardcopies. Now, she freelances reporting legal cases for a Malaysian legal publishing company.
Selvamalar Selvaraju
Selvamalar Selvaraju is a passionate impact-driven leader, social entrepreneur, and educator who has championed the development and empowerment of underprivileged women, children, and minorities in Malaysia. She is the CEO of Primus Wellness, a registered social enterprise, and co-founder of MySkills Foundation. With almost 15 years of work experience in multiple sectors, she is a certified trainer and acclaimed communicator, known for her engaging style of presentation and facilitation. She holds a Masters Degree in Human Resource Development, a First Class Hons LLB Degree from the UK, and has completed Harvard Summer School courses. Malar is focused on strengthening women's economic empowerment and community-based entrepreneurship to tackle urban poverty and manage post-Covid effects.
B40 Income Categories
The B40 income range varies for each state and federal territory, as given below. We will look at the per capita income of the household in order to qualify the participants as B40. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
State
Johor
Kedah
Kelantan
Melaka
Negeri Sembilan
Pahang
Pulau Pinang
Perak
Perlis
Selangor
Terengganu
Sabah
Sarawak
W.P. Kuala Lumpur
W.P. Labuan
W.P. Putrajaya
B40 Income
<=RM5400
<=RM3710
<=RM3030
<=RM5110
<=RM4210
<=RM3900
<=RM5310
<=RM3660
<=RM3870
<=RM6960
<=RM4720
<=RM3490
<=RM3720
<=RM9150
<=RM5910
<=RM8650
Per Capita Income
<=RM1350
<=RM928
<=RM758
<=RM1278
<=RM1053
<=RM975
<=RM1328
<=RM915
<=RM968
<=RM1740
<=RM1180
<=RM873
<=RM930
<=RM2288
<=RM1478
<=RM2163
Challenge Sponsor
Dato' Praba Thiagarajah
Project Sponsor & Executive Chairman,
Basis Bay
Core Team Members
G. S. Murali, Advisor
MD, Seven Hills Top
Founder, INDOGOTV
Content Producer & Director
Selvamalar Selvaraju, Advisor
CEO, Primus Wellness
Co-Founder, MySkills Foundation
LeadEx Fellow Asia | 2022
Sikha Patnaik
Lead - MarComm &
Primary Event Coordinator,
Basis Bay
Siva Ramalingam
Independent Event Organizer,
Basis Bay
Supporting Partners
.png)
.png)
Supporting Media Partners
