Ismail Sabri’s fear of debates: what era are you in, Anwar asks

KUALA LUMPUR – Caretaker prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob doesn’t understand the importance of debates between prime ministerial candidates in an election, opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

Slamming the Barisan Nasional (BN) prime minister candidate for rejecting his invitation to a debate, Anwar said debates are an important part of helping people choose candidates and parties in an election.

“Mail, what era are you in?” Anwar said using a nickname of Ismail Sabri’s, at a Pakatan Harapan (PH) ceramah in Alor Gajah, Melaka, last night

“Parliament is a place for debating. Schools and universities of excellence use debates to promote critical and creative thinking.

“Great scholars in the past built opinions using the question-and-answer methods in debating,” Anwar, who is also PKR president, said.

Ismail Sabri yesterday turned down the opposition leader’s invitation to a debate between the two of them as the prime minister candidates of their respective coalitions, and also with Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) prime minister candidate, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Ismail Sabri said debating would not yield any results, and it is also “not part of our culture”. – The Vibes, October 26, 2022