---
title: "Ismail Sabri Rejects Debating With Anwar Ibrahim, Claims It’s “Not Part Of Our Culture”"
url: https://weirdkaya.com/debate-not-part-of-our-culture-sabri/
date: 2022-10-26
modified: 2022-11-08
lang: en
author: "Raihanah"
description: "Caretaker Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has turned down Anwar Ibrahim's challenge to a public debate, claiming that it's not part of Malaysia's \"culture\" to do so. Image via The..."
categories:
  - "Society"
tags:
  - "Debate challenge"
  - "Ismail Sabri"
  - "Malaysia"
  - "MyGE15"
  - "Not our culture"
image: https://cdn.weirdkaya.com/media/link-preview-180-44-1.png
word_count: 275
---

# Ismail Sabri Rejects Debating With Anwar Ibrahim, Claims It’s “Not Part Of Our Culture”

Caretaker Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has turned down Anwar Ibrahim's challenge to a public debate, claiming that it's not part of Malaysia's "culture" to do so.

![Ismail Sabri Rejects Debating With Anwar Ibrahim, Claims It](https://cdn.weirdkaya.com/media/image-2405.jpg)Image via [The Star](https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/09/26/i-have-yet-to-decide-when-to-dissolve-parliament-says-pm)

## 'Not part of our culture'

Ismail was quoted by [Malay Mail](https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2022/10/25/ismail-sabri-says-not-our-culture-for-pm-candidates-to-debate-publicly/35498) saying that debates were never part of Malaysian culture and had little to no benefits.

He also took a jibe at Anwar for wanting to have a public debate.

> **Debate is not our culture. We have never done it before and it does not give any benefits.**

"If we let him debate, he will give his promise, manifesto, even the moon and the stars will be promised. So I think it is not necessary," he said.

![Ismail Sabri Rejects Debating With Anwar Ibrahim, Claims It](https://cdn.weirdkaya.com/media/image-2409.jpg)Image via [Twitter/@anwaribrahim](https://twitter.com/anwaribrahim/status/1584936389959118849)

Sabri also added that it was the people's confidence that form the government and that no debates were usually organised before elections.

## Mocked by netizens

Unsurprisingly, Sabri's remarks triggered a slew of angry and sarcastic responses from netizens.

***"There are debates at Parliament and English debates at school. Even joined debates until university level only to find out that it's not our culture."***

![Ismail Sabri Rejects Debating With Anwar Ibrahim, Claims It](https://cdn.weirdkaya.com/media/ladpgsh3ipcpmmjnavjnazw-828-344.jpg)Screenshot via [Twitter/@SriYusop](https://twitter.com/sriyusop/status/1584844652829868034?s=46&t=J3x9pgXS_cr6RRaHCjIljQ)

***"It is true that (debates) are not our culture. Try taking a look at Parliament. It's almost like a zoo. Now that's what our culture is I guess."***

![Ismail Sabri Rejects Debating With Anwar Ibrahim, Claims It](https://cdn.weirdkaya.com/media/ladpgt5jfh1r66bnawtnazw-828-356.jpg)Screenshot via [Twitter/@SriYusop](https://twitter.com/sriyusop/status/1584844652829868034?s=46&t=J3x9pgXS_cr6RRaHCjIljQ)

Even Anwar himself couldn't help but to fire back at Sabri, where he said that ulamas (religious scholars) themselves held debates to encourage the exchange of different opinions.

**“And what do we do in Parliament? Debate, of course. So, Ismail, what era are you living in?”**, he [questioned](https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2022/10/26/what-era-are-you-from-anwar-asks-ismail-over-debate-stance/) during a ceramah in Melaka yesterday.

**READ [ALSO](https://weirdkaya.com/msians-slam-kkm-for-praising-ismail-sabris-keluarga-malaysia-initiative/):**

https://weirdkaya.com/msians-slam-kkm-for-praising-ismail-sabris-keluarga-malaysia-initiative/

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