Tan Sri Datuk Seri PanglimaDrAbdul RahmanArshad ChallengeTrophy

English Language Debate Competition

Speaker’s Script
BEFORE A DEBATE

1. Write on the Whiteboard

DURING A DEBATE
1. I would like to invite the Government and the Opposition teams to take
their seats
2. Panel of distinguished adjudicators, timekeepers, Government and
Opposition teams and members of the house,Assalamu’alaikum/ good
morning/afternoon.
3. Welcome to the ……………………… district/state/national level Tan Sri
Datuk Seri PanglimaDr Abdul RahmanArshad Challenge Trophy
English Language Debate Competition
4. The motion for today’s debate is “This house

………………............................................................…………………………………………...............

5. First allow me to introduce our panel of distinguished adjudicators for

ii. ……………………………………………………………………

iii. …………………………………………………………………….

iv. …………………………………………………………………….

6. The time keepers are ……...………………………………… and

………………………………...................................

7. The two schools/district/state in today’ s debate are

i. ……………………………………………………………………………..
 ii. ……………………………………………………………………………...

8. Let me now introduce the debaters. On my right from the Government is

i. the Prime Minister ……………………………………………………………………

ii. the deputy Prime Minister …………………………………………………………

iii. the third Minister………………………………………………………………………

The reserves are

i. …………………………………………………………….

ii. ……………………………………………………………..

9. On my left from the Opposition bench are

i. The Opposition Leader ……………………………………………………………………

ii. The 2nd Opposition Speaker ……………………………………………………………..

iii. The 3rd Opposition Speaker………………………………………………………………

The reserves are

iii. …………………………………………………………….

iv. ……………………………………………………………..

10. Before we proceed I would like to highlight some important rules and
regulations that the debaters of both the government and opposition
must observe.
11. Every debater will be given 8 minutes. The bell will be rung once after the
1st minute and once again at 7th minute. At the end of 8th minute the bell
will be rung twice.
12. Between the 1st minute and the 7th minute of a debater’s speech, members
of the other team may offer points of information not longer than 15
seconds.
13. A maximum time of 3 minutes will be given to both teams to prepare for
reply speech.
14. The time allocated for reply speech is 4 minutes. The timekeeper will ring
the bell once at 3rd minute and twice at the end of 4th minute to signal the
end of time.
15. POIs are disallowed during reply speech.
16. After each speech the timekeeper will announce the time taken by each
debater.
17. No heckling, barracking or harassment is allowed at any time of the
debate.
18. Before we begin, I would like to remind everyone here to turn off your
mobile phones or set them on silent mode.
19. Now, I call upon the Prime Minister to deliver his/her speech on today’s

motion “This house …………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
20. Thank You to the Prime Minister
21. The leader of the opposition, you may deliver your speech now.
22. Thank You, leader of the Opposition
23. The Deputy Prime Minister, you may deliver your speech now.
24. Thank You to the Deputy Prime Minister
25. The Second Opposition speaker, you may deliver your speech now.
26. Thank You
27. The third minister from the government, you may do your rebuttal now.
28. Thank You
29. The third Opposition speaker, you may do your rebuttal now.
30. Thank You.
31. Both the teams will be given 3 minutes to prepare the reply speech.
Members of the house please remain quiet during this time. Time begins
now.
(BREAK 3 MINUTES –Timekeeper keeps time)
32. I shall now invite the Oppositon leader/ the second opposition speaker to
deliver the reply speech
33. Thank You
34. I shall now invite the Prime Minister/Deputy Prime Minister to deliver
the reply speech.
35. Thank You
36. We have come to the end of the debate. We will now wait for the
adjudicators to hand over the results to me to be given to the tab master.
37. The adjudicators will then meet to confer on the best debater and to
prepare for oral adjudication.
38. Both the government and opposition are advised to remain in the
room/hall for the result of the debate and for the oral adjudication by the
chief adjudicator.
39. WAIT FOR ADJUDICATORS TO PASS THE RESULT. THEN PASS THE
RESULT TO THE TABMASTER.
40. COME BACK TO THE ROOM AND WAIT FOR ADJUDICATORS TO RETURN
AFTER CONFERING.
41. Before I invite the chief adjudicator to announce the result and deliver the
oral adjudication I would like to remind the debaters and the members of
the house that no questions, comments or remarks are allowed during the
oral adjudication.
42. Now I would like to invite the Chief adjudicator,
MR/MADAM………………………………………...deliver the oral adjudication.
43. Thank you To the Chief Adjudicator. The House of Parliament is
adjourned.
 TIME KEEPER’S RESPONSIBILITY
1. When the speaker of the house reads out the rules concerning time as
below please ring the bell as how you should do when competition is
in progress.
i. Every debater will be given 8 minutes. The bell will be rung once
after the 1st minute and once again at 7th minute. At the end of 8th
minute the bell will be rung twice.
ii. Between the 1st minute and the 7th minute of a debater’s speech,
members of the other team may offer points of information not
longer than 15 seconds.
iii. A maximum time of 3 minutes will be given to both teams to
prepare for reply speech.
iv. The time allocated for reply speech is 4 minutes. The timekeeper
will ring the bell once at 3rd minute and twice at the end of 4th
minute to signal the end of time.
2. Every debater is given 8 minutes. Ring the bell once immediately after
the first minute. Ring again immediately after the 7th minute.
Immediately after the 8th minute ring the bell twice. Do this for all the
speakers until third opposition debater finishes.
3. When the speaker announces “its time to prepare for reply speech for
3 minutes”, ring the bell once to indicate the start of time. Then ring
again immediately after the 3rdminute.
4. When the speaker invites the opposition debater to deliver the reply
speech, start time but don’t have to ring the bell. Ring immediately
after the 3rd minute and ring twice immediately after the 4th minute.
Do the same for the government ‘s reply speech.

One timekeeper will keep time and ring the bell and the other will record
the time on the timekeeper’s sheet and make the announcement.

Good luck and thank you