• The competition saw students bring their favourite Malaysian folklore stories to life through captivating storytelling and theatre performances
• More than 11,000 students participated, the highest participation since the competition's inception
• 18 finalists from six states nationwide gathered to compete in the finale event

Jointly organised by Maxis eKelas and the English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC) of the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MoE), the HIPMaX StoryFest 2024 English storytelling competition brought together young storytellers from across Malaysia through its theme of 'Celebrating Malaysian Folklore'. Now in its sixth year, more than 11,000 students participated in this year's competition, the highest participation since its inception.

This year's theme showcased the creativity of students from three categories—Primary, Lower Secondary, and Upper Secondary— who reenacted their favourite Malaysian folklore stories through creative storytelling and theatre productions. The competition encourages students to practise their communication skills and internalise positive values through its fun and creative approach.

The competition recently concluded with a grand finale and prize-giving ceremony held at Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Bahasa Antarabangsa, Lembah Pantai. Graced by the Minister of Education, YB Fadhlina Sidek, a total of 18 finalists across the storytelling and theatre categories gathered from across the nation to compete in the finale event.

Puan Farah Mardhy Binti Aman, Director of the English Language Teaching Centre, said, "We are thrilled to see such strong participation in this competition, which promotes English learning in an engaging way. English is an essential skill in today's global landscape, and initiatives like this are invaluable in helping students gain the confidence and proficiency they need. Our partnership with Maxis aligns closely with our ambition to enhance the use of English in education, and we look forward to supporting more of such programmes in the future."

The top winners in each category received tablets, whilst runners up received book vouchers worth up to RM100 to encourage them to continue on their learning journey. A total of 15 winners emerged from the storytelling category, whereas 75 winning students were recognised as part of their respective teams in the theatre category.

To encourage participation in the competition, roadshows were conducted involving over 50 schools across 7 states. More than 16,000 students attended the storytelling and theatre workshops.

Maxis eKelas has been a strategic partner to MoE since 2016 and has played a critical role in helping improve the mastery of English language among Malaysian students via an after school digital learning programme. Available to all students from Year 4 to Form 5, Maxis eKelas brings to schools an enriched language learning experience in a fun and vibrant way through live tutorials, competitions, and a variety of digital content.

For more information or to register for eKelas, please visit or download the eKelas mobile app from App Store or Google Play.