**Penang Primary School Student Wins Third‑Place Overall at UK Public Speaking Olympiad**
An 11‑year‑old student from a government primary school in Penang has secured third place overall in the 2026 iWISE London Global Final, an international academic competition held at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom.
Nur Aamily Saffiya Muhd Zabari Izyan, a Year 5 pupil at Sekolah Kebangsaan Permatang Tok Mahat, earned a gold medal in the public‑speaking category. She also competed in the combined English disciplines—public speaking, creative writing and spelling—where she ranked third among 50 finalists representing 29 countries.
The global final attracted roughly 500 participants across all categories. Competitors qualify through preliminary rounds in their home countries; thus each finalist had already won a national competition before advancing to the international stage.
In addition to the gold medal, Nur Aamily received a tablet computer from Malaysia’s Education Minister, Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for Nibong Tebal, the constituency that includes her school. In a Facebook post, the minister remarked, “I like seeing children like this. It is not merely about the medals they bring home, but because at 11, her world is already so wide to explore.”
Nur Aamily’s international success is not limited to the UK. In February 2026 she won a silver medal at a public‑speaking competition in Dubai.
The iWISE Global Final is organized by the International World Schools’ English (iWISE) competition, which draws pre‑qualified student competitors from Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The top two overall positions at the 2026 London final were awarded cash prizes of £300 (RM 1,640) and £200 (RM 1,093) respectively; Nur Aamily’s third‑place finish placed her on the same podium.
The competition was held at the University of Surrey, one of the United Kingdom’s leading universities, and was judged by an international panel of adjudicators.
Article and image source: therakyatpost.com
