Let’s make political debates part of M’sian culture
By Zan Azlee

Malaysians have had to contend with mediocre politicians, policymakers, and elected leaders for far too long.

It’s time to weed out the bad from the good and the political debate that we saw happening recently between the Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli and Bachok MP Mohd Syahir Che Sulaiman is something that should happen more often.

Malaysians can then see how good or bad they can be and we can then make a more informed decision during elections.

Well, maybe a floor wiping by one debater against another (like what Rafizi did with Syahir) is a little bit too embarrassing to watch, but a debate culture amongst our politicians and elected officials should be nurtured and encouraged.

It is a really good opportunity for the people to see which of them has good ideas, leadership qualities, and the will to carry things through. It just makes it much clearer for everyone to make a better decision.

Although ceramah and political rallies are also supposed to be good opportunities for politicians and parties to communicate their plans and manifestos to the people, it is just too safe and predictable an environment (and also just too rhetorical and emotional) for the people to evaluate and make decisions for the country.

They are also preaching to the converted because most people who attend these ceramah and rallies are usually die-hard supporters anyway.

And honestly, when have you ever heard actual policies being discussed at a ceramah? Most of the time, they will touch on it lightly and then move on and continue with the usual character assassination speeches that they love.

It’s entertaining but it really serves no purpose towards helping people decide on who to vote for, unless you just want amusing people to constantly entertain you during parliamentary live streams.

An MP who can’t debate?

Watching the debate between Rafizi and Syahir, it was obvious that one debater was clearly still stuck in the ceramah mode.

Syahir was all about just roundabout rhetoric and cheap shots at trying to garner applause from the audience. He very rarely spewed out any actual policies and actions that the audience could actually consider.

So, it wasn’t really hard for Rafizi to wipe the floor with him. There were some solid points made by Rafizi but Syahir was definitely out of his league.

Syahir started his opening remarks with a disclaimer that he was never a debater and he doesn’t like debating.

This is quite shocking for me because if you are a member of Parliament and a policymaker, shouldn’t you actually like and want to debate? I would think that is one of the core skills you need to have in Parliament because, well, you debate bills and issues and whatnot, no?

Now, you don’t necessarily have to be a champion debater to be a parliamentarian, but if you have no skills at all and no grasp of the issues at play (as displayed by Syahir during the debate) then maybe you shouldn’t be in Parliament.

If I were an on-the-fence voter, watching a debate like that, I would easily be swayed. It’s just no contest and Rafizi was obviously the most-qualified candidate.

Debates keep us better-informed

Many more mature democracies in the world have long been practising political debates to pit one candidate against the other.

Some politicians in Malaysia have been trying to make this happen but the majority of them are opposed to it. They decline invitations to debate and sometimes even make statements saying that debating is not part of Malaysia’s political culture.

Then, perhaps it’s time to make it our culture. Afraid much?

Since the 14th general election in 2018, when BN was voted out of power after more than six decades in power, it has been more balanced now with no party or coalition having dominance.

What this means is that voters really can make a difference, hence those voted into power must really perform, or else, they can easily be replaced in the next elections.

As a voter, I don’t really want to have a strong alliance with any political party. I just want to make sure that whoever I vote for has my ideals, fights for issues that I care for, and administers the country the way I feel is the right way.

The best way for me to do that is to hear their policies and manifestos, compare them with each other and see who can serve me the best.

At this point in time, ceramah and rallies do not provide that for me but debates could. So let’s do it more often.

[This article was originally written for and published at Malaysiakini.com]

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