In 2013, when I moved from Miri, Sarawak, to Sandakan, Sabah, I began my journey with the Sandakan Toastmasters Club.
Several years earlier, I had come to know Tn. Hj. Ir. Azmer Shamsuddin and followed him on Facebook. Seeing how actively he participated in various NGOs, including Toastmasters, inspired me to follow in his footsteps.
Eventually, I registered as a member of the Sandakan Toastmasters Club.
My first speech was the Ice Breaker, an eight-minute presentation delivered in front of members from three clubs during a joint meeting at Sabah Hotel, Sandakan. Looking back, I still remember how nerve-racking that experience was.
Fortunately, the palm oil mill where I worked was located just 19 miles from Sandakan town. This made it possible for me to attend the club's meetings every two weeks.
As I continued attending the meetings, I observed members delivering speeches, evaluating one another's presentations, and participating in various educational activities. Every meeting offered valuable opportunities to learn, build confidence as a speaker, and develop the qualities of an effective leader.
One day, a young Chinese teacher delivered a truly remarkable speech.
His topic was simple: how to use public toilets properly, particularly in schools.
He began by explaining how unpleasant it was to encounter a dirty toilet. But then he raised an interesting question.
What should we do when we desperately need to use a dirty toilet?
After all, emergencies do happen, and sometimes we simply have no other choice.
He smiled and offered three simple steps.
First, take the hose and spray water until the toilet is clean.
Second, take some tissue paper and wipe the surfaces. Once that is done, the toilet is ready to use.
Third, and most importantly, make sure you leave the toilet cleaner than it was when you first entered.
Boom!
What a presentation!
The audience burst into applause. The young English teacher had delivered his message with remarkable clarity, confidence, and effectiveness. He had used his language skills to turn an ordinary subject into an engaging and memorable speech.
I was impressed, too!
However, on my way home that evening, I began to think more deeply about what I had witnessed.
Wait a minute. All he talked about was using a toilet. What was so special about that?
The topic itself was hardly extraordinary. It was something most of us dealt with every day.
Yet somehow, he had managed to capture everyone's attention.
A few months later, I decided to ask one of the senior members, DTM Shane Ho, who was serving as our Area Director at the time, a question that had been bothering me.
"In Toastmasters, what really matters more? The content of a speech or the way it is delivered?"
He answered calmly.
"We need both," he explained.
"Imagine someone delivering a speech filled with valuable information, important facts, and profound ideas. But if the delivery is terrible, the audience may struggle to stay interested. That person might sound like a university lecturer who knows the subject inside out but fails to engage the students.
"On the other hand, if someone delivers a fantastic performance but has nothing meaningful to say, that person may end up sounding like a comedian who entertains the audience without offering much substance.
"In Toastmasters, we want to develop both."
His explanation opened my eyes.
From that day onwards, I began paying closer attention to the two essential elements of public speaking: the message and the delivery.
A good speech needs meaningful content, but it also needs an effective presentation. One without the other may fail to achieve its full potential.
And even today, I still remember that young teacher and his speech about using public toilets properly.
More importantly, I have continued practising the lesson he taught us. Whenever I encounter a dirty toilet, I remember his three simple steps and do my best to leave it cleaner than I found it.
Think about it. A speech lasting only a few minutes can influence someone's behaviour for years.
That is the power of effective communication.
Sometimes, the most memorable lessons do not come from complicated theories, grand philosophies, or profound academic discussions. They come from ordinary experiences presented in an extraordinary way.
That young teacher taught me something I will never forget: you do not need an extraordinary topic to deliver an extraordinary speech.
You simply need to know how to communicate your message effectively.
And that, my friends, is what I learned through my journey in Toastmasters.
That is my story today.
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