Securing wins at Toastmasters International Speech and Table Topics Contests

Dr Saraswathy (front row, second from right) and Ms Khoo (second row, third from right) with the other contestants

UTAR Faculty of Creative Industries (FCI) academic Dr Saraswathy Thurairaj, who represented the UTAR Sungai Long Toastmasters Club at the Toastmasters International District 102 Division E International Speech and Table Topics Contests 2022-2023, managed to secure third place in the contest. The contest also saw the participation of UTAR Division of Human Resource (DHR) Manager Ms Khoo Suat Hoong.

Held on 2 April 2023 at Open University Malaysia, Selangor, the contest was organised to provide an opportunity for Toastmasters to gain speaking experience, as well as learn by observing proficient speakers. The contest was split into two categories, namely the International Speech Contest and the Table Topics Contest. The former required participants to present a five to seven-minute speech based on any subject, while the latter required participants to present a one to two-minute speech based on a topic given spontaneously.  

Dr Saraswathy competed in the Table Topics Contests category at the Division level and won third place for an impromptu speech titled “You are never too old to set a goal”. Meanwhile, Ms Khoo participated in the International Speech Contest category; her speech was titled “Forgive”. Both of them initially took part in the Club and Area levels, and their victories allowed them to progress to the Division level.

Dr Saraswathy was previously crowned the champion of the Table Topics Contests at both Club and Area levels, and first runner-up at the Club level of the International Speech Contest, while Ms Khoo won first place at the Club level and second place at the Area level of the International Speech Contest.

Dr Saraswathy said, “I was fortunate to have competed in the Division level of the Table Topics Contests, and it was undoubtedly one of the toughest competitions that I have participated in, as the impromptu topic I received was unexpected and beyond my imagination. However, I am glad that I did not give up and managed to secure third place, marking my second win at the Division level after my first participation back in 2016. I feel humbled and grateful for the opportunity to compete at three different levels of this competition. I am also thankful to the Toastmasters International Club and its members for playing a significant role in my success.”

She added, “Since the start of 2023, I was determined to take part in the International Speech and Table Topics Contest. During the Club level of the contest, I was given a challenging topic to speak about, but I am thankful to have received amazing responses and crowned champion. It was also an exhilarating experience to have competed against some of the best speakers and come out on top in the Area level of the contests.”

Dr Saraswathy with her awards from the Club, Area and Division levels

Dr Saraswathy (second from right) with other winners from Division level

Previously, Dr Saraswathy had taken part in the Toastmasters International Table Topics Contests back in 2016, where she also successfully achieved third place. Not only that, she is also the current advisor of the UTAR Sungai Long Toastmasters Club, and the founder of the community club, Share and Inspire Toastmasters Club. Moreover, she has been nominated to be the Area Director for the E4 area of the Toastmasters International Organisation. Other than that, Dr Saraswathy was invited by the Educational Welfare & Research Foundation Malaysia to conduct a workshop titled “Public Speaking Workshop” on 12 November 2022. She also spoke at the “Enhancing your public speaking skills” talk, which was organised in collaboration with the Guangxi University of Foreign Languages, China on 3 December 2022. She also collaborated with Toastmasters International and UTAR Centre for Teaching and Learning to organise the National Storytelling Workshop and Competition 2022, which lasted from 5 to 6 March 2022.

Sharing her thoughts about her participation at the Division level, Ms Khoo enthused, “This is definitely a milestone for me in my many years as a member of the Toastmasters Club, as this is my first time being eligible to participate in the Division contest. Previously, I was unable to progress past the Area level. However, after attending Toastmasters meetings regularly and receiving feedback from various evaluators, I could see my improvement. Thus, I am grateful and thankful to be able to participate in the Division level as it shows that I have improved my skills.”

“My intention to join this competition was to be an encouragement to the other UTAR Sungai Long Toastmasters Club members, who mostly consist of UTAR students. At the same time, I have many personal stories that I would like to share, thus the International Speech Contest is a good platform for me to tell my stories and express myself to different audiences. It is very satisfying and gratifying to see your audience relate to your story and respond to your presentation on stage,” Ms Khoo added.

UTAR congratulates both Dr Saraswathy and Ms Khoo for their amazing achievements in the Toastmasters International District 102 Division E International Speech and Table Topics Contests 2022-2023.