While Malaysia’s reputation abroad takes a beating due to the unearthing of the web of money-laundering schemes allegedly perpetrated by the notorious 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) under the purview of Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Najib Abdul Razak, a 23-year old Johorean from Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) Malaysia reversed the perception game when crowned the Overall Best Debater (ESL) at the World Universities Debating Championship, Netherlands.

Ameera Natasha Moore outwitted some of the best debaters in the world to clinch the award. She’s also one of the few women who has been awarded the overall Best Speaker in the world.

Malaysia has never failed to produce record-breaking female debaters. A few years ago we were awed by news that Mai Mokhsein from UiTM Shah Alam was crowned the best debater of Asia. When one retires, more step up.

Ameera is also a three-time Asian Debate Champion and the record-holder of Asia for winning the elusive Australasia Debating Championship in July, taking down the world’s No 1, Sydney University. She was also crowned champion of the Cambridge Inter-varsities in November.

The Cambridge IV is known to be one of the world’s most competitive debating championships which assembles more than 140 teams from across the world. The best of the best from Harvard, Oxford, Yale and the rest will intellectually battle one another for the trophy. It’s truly refreshing to see a Malaysian team, specifically a woman, take the title.

While some debating communities struggle to pursue for gender inclusivity policies, Malaysia has never failed to provide sufficient platform to female debaters. Tasneem Elias, a former World Champion trained in the corridors of knowledge and virtue, UIA. Jasmine Ho, a top 10 debater at the world championship, hails from UiTM Shah Alam. Team Malaysia at the World Schools Debating Championship is almost always gender balanced.

All of these success stories indicate that Malaysia is home to some of the world’s best female debaters.

These women defy insidious stereotypes which consume the heart of equality which beats for us all. I distinctly remember how some debaters from the western world used to look down on my ex-teammate, Arinah Najwa Ahmad Said, who’s a hijabi. Well, the best revenge was to witness them lose to the very person they looked down upon.

The deconstruction of stereotypes is particularly effective when we beat them at their game. It becomes disingenuous to say that women are sub-par when you witness a never-ending stream of brilliance exuded by them. It becomes logically incoherent to presume that hijabis are timid and ignorant when you meet hijabis who can conquer the world’s intellectual sport.