KUCHING: The May 12 debate between opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is just to show who is the better debater, says a political analyst.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) senior lecturer Prof Dr Lee Kuok Tiung said elements of humour like a stand-up comedian are what attract the audience’s attention and entertain them.
“Thus, it’s not about who has more facts, but who’s more entertaining.
“Nevertheless, I see this debate as an indicator that the 15thGeneral Election (GE15) will happen very soon.
“This is not necessarily a clash of titans but surely with Bossku (Najib) as a social media influencer will help increase Anwar’s visibility which was somewhat tarnished due to Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) dim results in the Melaka, Sarawak and Johor elections,” he told New Sarawak Tribune.
When asked about the latest development regarding Sapura’s story where Rafizi Ramli is facing a defamation suit, Lee believed in the debate later, the two will raise arguments from different points of view.
“Bossku (Najib) sees it from the social responsibility point of view where it is likely that many will lose their livelihood if retrenchment occurs.
“While Anwar is likely to touch it in terms of accountability and integrity in the management of Sapura,” he added.
Lee expects GE15 will be held anytime in the second half of 2022.
“The memorandum of understanding (MoU) ends on July 31 and there’s pressure from UMNO to expedite GE15.
“The two sides can’t attack the opponent much in terms of political alliance cooperation because the two seem fragile and are still looking for the right formula or collaboration.
“Our country is in a phase of economic recovery after two years of a slump due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Political stability is very important to ensure economic development and the people are disgusted with politicking,” he added.
Should there be more public debate like this in the future, Lee said the publicity is for the debaters only.
“In fact, in the age of information technology, we get more information from search engines.
“The debate is only able to draw the attention of the audience looking from different perspectives.
“What benefits from such a debate is more important,” he stated.
The public debate will be divided into three segments; first, concerning the Sapura Energy bailout, followed by a debate on the economy, politics, governance and the country’s direction aspects and a question and answer session to conclude the event.
The debate will be held at Dewan Tunku Canselor, Universiti Malaya at 9pm and will be aired live through selected media channels. The number of people attending the event will be limited.
