KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has suggested April 7 as the new date for his debate with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, following the police’s move to forbid the event from being held in Perak this Saturday.
Nazri said the event organiser, Kumpulan Media Karangkraf, has agreed for the debate to be held at 9.30pm on April 7 at its headquarters in Shah Alam.
“My only request is for (Parti Amanah Negara’s) Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad to become the moderator,” Nazri said during a press conference at Parliament here today.
Nazri said he was made to understand that Khalid had agreed to carry the task of moderating the public debate.
“I want a politician to be a moderator because if we appoint an academician, he may be too academic,” he said, adding that he believed Khalid would be a neutral party despite his affiliation with the Opposition.
Nazri said Karangkraf would notify the police of the venue change but made it clear that a police permit was no longer needed as the debate would be held on a private property and not at a public space.
Nazri also said Dr Mahathir would be notified of the latest developments.
“I hope there won’t be any more obstructions by the police,” he said, adding that those who attend the debate would be encouraged to donate to a fund to aid the Muslim Rohingya community in Myanmar.
This came after Perak Acting Police Chief Datuk Hasnan Hassan said the police had rejected an application by Karangkraf to hold the debate at the Sultan Azlan Shah Mara Junior Science College (MRSM).
Hasnan listed four reasons for the rejection, including the event organiser’s failure to submit a notification form 10 days before the event, which was required under Section 9 (1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act.
Hasnan also said the venue chosen for the debate was a school, which was prohibited under the Act.
Dr Mahathir, in response, had asked Nazri to select a new time and venue for the debate, adding that the latter had until this evening to ensure the event would go on.
The debate has made headlines lately, as topics that would be touched on include the Bumiputra Malaysia Finance (BMF) scandal, which has been linked to Dr Mahathir's administration.
Dr Mahathir, on March 10, had challenged Nazri to a debate after the latter challenged the former prime minister to contest against him for the Padang Rengas parliamentary seat.
The 91-year-old had said he had no plans to contest in the next general election and suggested a debate instead.
Besides the BMF scandal, Dr Mahathir had also suggested for the debate to centre on topics concerning 1Malaysia Development Bhd and the deposit of RM2.6 billion into Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s bank accounts.
The Home Ministry has given its green light for the debate but the government has recently announced that there will be no live telecast of the event on RTM.