Nazri suggests debate be held at police hall, or Antarctica with penguins

Peeved that police have once again pulled the plug on his debate with Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz suggested that the event be held at the police auditorium in Cheras, or better still, in Antarctica.

As for the latter, he said this is because "penguins do not understand Bahasa Malaysia or English, and therefore, there would be no riot."

"I was told that the (police) auditorium is big, maybe we can ask the police to organise this dialogue," he told a press conference at the Parliament media room this afternoon.

The minister also said he was willing to hold the debate overseas, be it in London, Greenland or even Antarctica.

"If we can't hold it in Malaysia then maybe can do it in Antarctica, because there are a lot of penguins there," he added.

Nazri was responding to the police cancelling the debate based on security reasons after initially giving the green light for it to be held at the Sinar Harian office in Shah Alam on April 7.

This is the second time police stopped the debate, which was originally supposed to be held in Padang Rengas on March 25.

Nazri said he was willing to do debate at any time of Mahathir's choosing, and warned the 91-year-old not to flee. 

"I dedicate this song to him: I will follow you," he said. 

However, the Umno supreme council member dismissed a suggestion that the debate now be held in a hotel. 

He was also not open to the idea of having the debate behind closed doors and livestreamed online. 

"I want the public to be around. If the police are not intellectual I can't help it, (but) the public are (intellectual). 

"People are not going to have a punch-up after a debate.

"Maybe that's how the police are, every time there is a rally they want to punch people."- Mkini