KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail believes that he and Rafizi Ramli will not use the live debate between them on May 11 as an avenue to attack one another in their bid to win the PKR deputy presidency.
Instead, the PKR secretary-general said the debate will be a stage for both leaders to share their perspectives on PKR’s direction as well as what the party elections meant for them.
“We will also comment on the current political issues in the country.
“Although the title of the debate is ‘Berani Semuka: Siapa Layak Bersama Anwar?’ (Courage to face-off: Who is qualified to be with Anwar?), I consider this as just a heading.
“The debate will be the opportune moment for us, not in the context of debating and attacking each other, but rather a platform to give our views on the PKR polls,” he said Sunday (May 8).
Saifuddin was speaking to reporters after attending a Majlis Muhibah Aidilfitri organised by Sabah PKR at the Sabah International Convention Centre here.
Among those present were Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, and the party’s communications director Fahmi Fadzil, both of whom are Saifuddin allies who are among those vying for the four vice-president posts, and Sabah PKR chief Datuk Christina Liew.
The one-and-a-half hour live debate will be held at Studio F in Sinar Harian starting at 3pm on May 11.
Meanwhile, when asked why Rafizi was not at the Hari Raya event here last night given that he was also in the state capital for his campaign trail, Saifuddin said they both had their prior schedules to keep up with.
He said he had met Rafizi at the airport here the night before and they both had greeted each other.
“We both have our own engagements and commitments that have been arranged much earlier, that’s all,” he said.
Saifuddin, however, did not commit to an answer when pressed if Rafizi had been invited to the event, only saying that: “The event was organised by Sabah PKR and I am one of the guests, so there’s no problem.”