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KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir has declined to take part in the Umno Youth chief debate, so it will be between Khairy Jamaluddin and Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo.
All three have qualified to contest the Umno Youth chief post. On Sunday, Mukhriz declined Khairy’s proposal for a public debate saying that the election was an internal matter. But former Selangor Mentri Besar Dr Khir feels that a debate will allow the public to evaluate the candidates’ views. Khairy, who is the Umno Youth deputy chief, welcomed Dr Khir’s acceptance and said the proposed debate was to provide candidates an avenue to present their visions and not to attack each other. Saying that he was open to any format for the debate, Khairy said: “I just want to know the time, date and venue and I’ll come.” Khairy believes the debate would be healthy and would not cause disunity in the movement. “The debate will be conducted in a gentlemanly manner to present our ideas and facts, not to make personal attacks against each other,” he said. He added that the debate would allow all Malaysians to know about the candidates’ visions, what they stood for and capabilities, which were important since the party was not in isolation and could not take action without considering public opinion. “Umno is a Government party so its leaders also represent the Government and hence people. Therefore everyone wants to know the candidates’ vision, ideas and capabilities,” he said, stressing that Umno must be inclusive and not divorce itself from the rest of the public. “So when Umno has an inclusive platform, we need to have a forum where all candidates can present themselves to all Malaysians,” he said. - The Star
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