Nazri: Debate not cheap stunt

PADANG RENGAS: Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz has said his debate with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, set for April 7, is not a cheap publicity stunt.

He said the objective of the debate is to defend Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak from Mahathir’s negative remarks, and that it had nothing to do with political mileage.

“I don’t need that because I am already famous, people know me. Just search my name on the internet and you will find a lot of news about me. I don’t need this debate to make a name (for myself) and I am not young anymore. I am a 63-year-old man,” said Nazri, who is also Padang Rengas MP.

Speaking after opening the Umno Padang Rengas meeting, he said the debate will touch on issues that included 1Malaysia Development Berhad and Malaysian Official 1.

The debate was scheduled for last Saturday in Kuala Kangsar but police called it off due to public safety concerns. The April 7 debate is expected to be held at the Karangkraf headquarters in Shah Alam at 8.30pm.

Acting Perak police chief DCP Datuk Hasnan Hassan said Kuala Kangsar district police had studied the application and felt it was not in the best interest of the people there.

He said the organiser was late in submitting the application, and only did so on March 20 and it fell short of the 10-day requirement under Section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.

Nazri had criticised the move and said the reasons given by Hasnan were unreasonable.