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Judge's Remarks

We asked our judges to comment on the entries, noting where the entrants did well and avenues for improvement.

Read Pharm AbdulWaarith's remarks below:

The joy of essay competitions is in realising the diversity of excellent opinions and viewpoints. That this competition recorded only so many entries is a little disheartening. In any case, it is to be taken in stride and worked on, so subsequent competitions attract much more submissions.

Before commenting on the quality of the entries, I want to commend all participants. From my experience, it is not easy to get in a submission for these kinds of competitions. That one is able to pen something down and send it in is impressive. I only hope the entrants, and indeed other people, are able to find the inspiration to do as new avenues surface.

A significant number of entries simply failed to hit the mark as regards the content of their essays. This is likely due to a skewed interpretation of the essay topic. Some entries focused on one part of the topic more than the other, particularly the ‘Muslim’ part, while neglecting the nation building aspect. All parts of an essay topic are to be taken together, in equal measure, to be able to craft something that addresses the topic insightfully.

Then comes the grammar, punctuation and spelling parts. There needs to be just as much energy put into writing the essay as in editing. Then again, it is one thing to edit actively, it is another thing to identify mistakes and know how to correct them. For this, I have one piece of advice. Learn to read. Read widely, read voraciously. It enriches the mind, builds vocabulary, makes one more expressive, and allows one to avoid those pesky mistakes that come with writing. 

I believe there is, at least, a takeaway for every entrant in this essay competition, including the eventual winners. Use it to your advantage.

Salaam ‘alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatu
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