It is a fact of politics that pertinent issues are often raised and addressed before, during and even after elections. Inevitably, this necessitates debates among politicians of different levels and also among the common people. When debates happen among politicians, whether face-to-face or indirectly via speeches and public pronouncements, they require the contenders to be calm and collected because socio-political issues are often contentious. Other than that, they must be verbally articulate and confident when presenting their arguments to keep their support bases and perhaps win over some converts.
Of late, debates as part of our political processes, have taken quite a big part of my attention although, unlike in western culture, they are not a major part of our common way of life. They do happen but we don’t think of them as debates in the full sense of the word. Our usual is mostly informal and forms part of our normal conversations and arguments. Even in the nation’s administrative system and private sector meetings, they are mostly discussions.
In parliament, the word “debate” has been used again and again to name and describe certain parts of its proceedings. Of course, we have all witnessed over the years how debates could degenerate into shouting matches, name-calling, altercations, bickering, and brawls (sometimes physical ones). Mercifully, most of the representatives are level-minded persons who keep their cool until the august House has finished its jobs. They are the ones who get things done by using supporting data and evidence to win the attention and unanimous support of fellow members on both sides of the political divide. In this way, debates that are said to be not part of our culture have been used in our country’s parliamentary system for a long time.
Leaders should not be hesitant to debate when challenged by their rivals in the opposition camp. This is because debates are among the best avenues to demonstrate their competence and authority on certain pertinent issues. On the stage, they get to show off that they are well-informed and attuned to the pulse of the nation. They ought to realise that people want leaders who are highly knowledgeable, constantly aware of current concerns, persistent, and capable of facing challenges and barriers that are of concern to the public.
A challenge to debate should be accepted with transparency and openness. During a debate, proper etiquette must be observed to avoid disputes and misunderstandings. Let leaders demonstrate through their arguments their personal qualities, one of which is the ability to speak up. We don’t want leaders who are too nice and meek and merely nod. What we want are leaders of high calibre, who fight all the time for the well—being of the people, and focus less on personal benefit.
In our socio-political context, debate topics should not be those that involve sensitive issues such as race and religion. What matters should be the accuracy of ideas and information presented by the debaters. The leaders should have understood that debates are not for pointing fingers and exposing the flaws of opponents, but rather for exchanging facts and valid arguments. Debates must allow for honest counter-arguments backed by brilliant ideas, clever comments and convincing reviews.
Whether or not we should engage in debates should not be overblown despite the differences of opinion on the matter. Contradictions between perceptions and practice are not new, so leaders must have tact and good judgment when asking the electorate to choose them to run the country. The people do not want to see weaknesses in the country’s administration, such as leaders who are incapable of speaking up and merely obeying orders. During this election era, would-be leaders should be capable of defending their ideas and positions, and brave in the face of provocation. Dare to go forward and face challenges such as serious debates on issues that affect the country. After all, debates as not equivalent to coffee-shop talk. They have points that require deep thinking and effective delivery.
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** Dr Nur Aida Kipli (PhD) is a senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak.
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The views expressed here are those of the analyst and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
