Throwback Thursday: Choral Speaking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDbtB38zm1g

From "Forced" to Fame: My Rembau Choral Speaking Days.

If you saw me back in 2001, I was the kid who would do anything to avoid being alone on a stage. I had zero interest in the spotlight—until Teacher Alia, my English teacher at SK Astana Raja (SKAR), decided otherwise. She told me I had "potential," and before I knew it, I was "voluntarily forced" into the school’s Choral Speaking team.

Looking back, it was the best thing that ever happened to my 10-year-old self.

For those who aren’t familiar, choral speaking is basically like a choir, but with words. It’s a group performance where we recite poetry or prose in perfect unison, using rhythm, synchronized gestures, and vocal variety to tell a story. It’s intense, it’s rhythmic, and when done right, it’s powerful.

At SKAR, we weren’t just any team; we were the team. We walked into the Rembau district competition with a reputation to uphold. Being the powerhouse of Rembau, the pressure was on to take the 2001 championship, and we did exactly that.

That win took us to the Negeri Sembilan state level. Suddenly, us kids from a rural school in Rembau were standing on the same stage as elite boarding schools. I remember the giants, Tunku Kurshiah College (TKC). They were incredible and eventually took the state crown, but we came in a very close second.

This became our "glory era." In 2002 and 2003 (when I was 11 and 12), the cycle repeated: we dominated Rembau, headed to the state finals, and gave TKC a run for their money, finishing as runners-up every single time.

Honestly? I’m not even mad about the silver medals. Coming from a small, rural school and standing right behind a premier boarding school in a language competition is something to be incredibly proud of.

I’m so grateful Teacher Alia didn’t take "no" for an answer. She turned a shy Darjah 4 kid into a state-level performer. It’s a core memory I’ll always cherish, knowing that for a few years, we were "those kids" from Rembau who made the big schools sweat.