Twentytwo13

Ismail Sabri should not have declined debate with Anwar, Muhyiddin, says analyst

Caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob should not have turned down the opportunity to debate Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Associate Professor Dr Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk, director of Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Centre for Policy Research and International Studies, said that while nothing came out of previous debates, the people are seeking clarity before heading to the polls on Nov 19.

“We have a fragmented political scene, and the voters are unsure which side the parties are together and who to vote for,” said the political analyst.

“A debate among potential prime ministerial candidates is something that we need.

“At the very least, they can clarify certain issues, put forward their ideas and what they plan to do should they be chosen as prime ministers.”

Ismail Sabri, had at a press conference in Bukit Aman today, rejected opposition chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s challenge to have a debate between political parties’ prime ministerial candidates. The caretaker prime minister said debates were not a culture in Malaysia’s politics and would bring no benefits.

Azeem said unlike the United States presidential debates, which are “almost like an institution”, the system in Malaysia is different as we do not elect the prime minister.

“We have a Westminster system. We go to the polling centres to choose our MPs. They, in turn, will decide who will be the prime minister.

“For the past 65 years, it was almost certain that someone from Umno would be prime minister, but that is no longer the case,” said Azeem.

“We will only find out after GE15 who will be prime minister based on which parties will work together after getting the results.

“Therefore, they should have a debate, but they must stick to strict guidelines.

He added the prime minister candidates can talk about their plans, ideas, and how they will tackle problems Malaysians face, including inflation, and high cost of living.

“Present these facts and let the voters decide which party to choose.”

While political debates have been few and far between, the most recent one was between former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over the Sapura Energy bail-out on May 12.

Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, a former minister and an Umno Supreme Council member, had prior the Anwar-Najib face-off told Twentytwo13 that debates are normal in democratic society.

Anwar was also involved in the first televised debate in 2008 against Ahmad Shabery, who was then the Information Minister.

In 2013, before the 13th general elections, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah partnered with Gan Ping Sieu on behalf of Barisan Nasional to debate Pakatan Rakyat’s Liew Chin Tong and Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa.

There were no clear-cut winners in the past encounters, but Azeem said a debate before GE15 would be different as the people want to hear how the politicians can solve their problems.

Asked if it would be better if the political parties informed the voters who they would work with to form the next government, Azeem said that was unlikely to happen.

“The problem is that these parties have not buried the hatchet. Many are holding on to grudges. The reality will only sink in when they get the results,” said Azeem.

“Then, will you see the wheeling and dealing going on to ensure a ‘coalition’ gets at least 112 votes to be the government of the day.

“As I have said, we might have some strange bedfellows after the elections and parties you think will not work together might join forces if that is what it takes to gain power.”

He added parties like Umno and PKR believe they can form the government based on their numbers and may not want to appear weak by saying they would join forces with other parties.

Azeem said that in mature democracies in Europe, it was normal for parties to make deals after elections to form governments.

“Malaysians need to get used to that. We will not return to the days when politics was straightforward.

“We cannot expect politicians to follow our rhythm. It is going to be an exciting time.

“We hope the next government will be stable. That is my wish. We cannot allow what happened in the past two years. Otherwise, we will change prime ministers as often as Britain!”

While Malaysia has had three prime ministers since the last general elections in 2018, Britain has had three this year – Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.