MALAYSIANSKINI | Pavit Coran’s first taste of university life had not exactly gone to plan. Because of Covid-19 the young lad from Kelantan only got to enjoy a campus tour of the Multimedia University in Malacca, before having to return home and continue his classes remotely.

However, to keep himself occupied Pavit entered the English Speaking Union of Malaysia (ESUM)-Taylor’s Public Speaking Competition Final which was open to all Malaysians aged 16-20. On April 24, he beat out nine other competitors to be named national champion and taking home a cash prize of RM2,000.

Not bad for a day’s work you might think, but Pavit was just getting started. Now a national champion, he was thrust into a global competition facing competitors from 32 other countries. And less than three weeks after his national triumph, Pavit was facing competitors from Pakistan, Brazil, Russia, Lithuania and Hungary as one of the six finalists.

Speaking on the topic of mental health, the 18-year-old impressed the judges with his arguments and took home the top prize.

“It was the most amazing experience for which I will always be grateful. It was something I tried on a whim. During the second semester break, I had time on my hands and filled in the form. I never expected to go this far,” he told Malaysiakini via a Zoom call.

"Although I was not able to go to London to compete...