Kuala lumpur: Debates are not mere competitions but serve as leadership ‘madrasahs’ and platforms for character development, particularly among university students, according to Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir. He emphasized this perspective at the closing of the 2025 Prime Minister’s Integrity Cup Debate final at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM).

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Zambry highlighted that debates provide opportunities for students to develop critical thinking, express their views, and take responsibility for their arguments. He noted that debates are instrumental in nurturing future leaders by teaching students to present their opinions in a civil and decent manner.

Dr Zambry also pointed out that debates train students to rely on facts and arguments, steering clear of manipulation and slander. The event saw participation from sixty teams representing private and public universities, vocational colleges, and polytechnics, as well as two teams from Bandung, Indonesia. The Prime Minister’s Integrity Cup Debate was organized by the Integrity Institute of Malaysia in collaboration with UUM, the Malaysian Universities Debate Council, and Policy and Economic Affairs Centre Malaysia (PEACE).

The competition concluded with Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) Team A emerging as champions, followed by International Islamic University Malaysia in second place, UPNM B in third, and Universiti Sains Malaysia securing the fourth position.