MalayMail/Bernama-Sept 2
From a young pupil who could only smile and nod because he did not understand a single word of a Malay-language text, Tai Weuy Liang has gone on to not only deliver speeches and write poetry in the language, but also champion Malaysia’s national language on the international stage. His journey began in 2016 when Mohd Hafezi Abdul Hamid was asked to mentor Weuy Liang, then a Year Four pupil at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Imbi here, whose command of Malay was extremely limited. Mohd Hafezi, now a Malay Language teacher at SJKC Wangsa Maju and a public-speaking coach, particularly for non-Malay pupils at Chinese national-type schools and Chinese independent secondary schools, was invited by the school to train Weuy Liang. What began as twice-weekly coaching sessions at Weuy Liang’s home continued for almost a decade, including online sessions after the young man, now 20, pursued his studies at Peking University in China. Over the years, Weuy Liang not only improved his command of Malay but also gained the confidence to emerge as champion in the national-level 2018 Prime Minister’s Unity Cup Speech Competition, the second International Malay Language Poetry Recitation Competition in 2024 and the Education Malaysia Jordan International Public Speaking Competition in 2025. For Weuy Liang, the journey did not begin with victories, but with the embarrassment of not understanding a language he was expected to master. “When Cikgu Hafezi first began coaching me and explained the speech text, I did not understand a single word. But when he asked whether I understood, I still said yes because I was too embarrassed to admit that I did not. “In the early stages, I also forgot my text while on stage and lost many competitions. But he was always by my side, offering advice, guiding me and continuing to believe in my abilities,” he told Bernama recently.
According to Weuy Liang, his victory in 2018 marked a major turning point after Mohd Hafezi advised him not to imitate others but instead develop his own identity when delivering speeches. His interest later expanded from public speaking to poetry writing after he participated in a writing program organized by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP). His first poem, about a cat named ‘Oren’, was written when he was 12, and nearly 10 of his works have since been published. Now in the second year of his Bachelor’s degree in International Relations at Peking University, Weuy Liang continues to use Malay despite being thousands of kilometers from home. He actively recites Malay poetry in China, including at the New Malaysian Students Orientation Program and the SEA You@ASEAN Youth Festival 2025. Read more at:
