Three students from Universiti Kuala Lumpur’s (UniKL) Japan Universities Programme (JUP) made a remarkable achievement at the 6th ALEPS Japanese Speech Contest on 18 January, securing top spots.
Muhammad Khairul Iman Sanuddin emerged as the champion, while Nur Kaisah Mohd. Khairul and Amirah Kamilah Abdul Aziz claimed second and fourth places, respectively.
Reflecting on his journey, Muhammad Khairul Iman shared that pronunciation and time management were his biggest challenges during preparation.
“Japanese, like Chinese and Arabic, has complex pronunciation and tone, which I saw as my biggest hurdle. To overcome this, I dedicated two hours daily to perfecting just a paragraph. I also watched Japanese VTuber livestreams, particularly Sakura Miko and Todoroki Hajime, to mimic their pronunciation,” he said.
He added that managing his time was equally demanding.
“Two weeks before the contest, I had tests almost every day, leaving little time to practice.”
Training began in December 2024 under Mizuno-sensei, with 30-minute daily practice sessions leading up to the competition. Despite his efforts, Muhammad Khairul Iman did not expect to win.
“Many participants spoke Japanese fluently, and some even had a Japanese background. I felt intimidated but remained humble,” he admitted.
While he had competed in speech contests for a decade, this was his first in-person victory. Previously, his biggest achievements included district and state-level wins in Arabic speech contests—conducted online.
The Alumni Look East Policy Society (ALEPS) organised the contest, providing a platform for participants to showcase their Japanese language skills and cultural understanding.
The event was live-streamed, allowing supporters to watch and cheer for the contestants.
Other institutions that participated included Ambang Asuhan Jepun (UM), Kumpulan Teknikal Jepun (KTJ-UiTM), and Institute Bahasa Teikyo (IBT).
