I love watching and participating in debates. I just can’t get out of a really good argument. Oh, did I mention I was the captain of my school’s debate team back in the day?

So when the big hoo haa about the debate between DAP Member of Parliament Tony Pua and CEO of 1MDB Arul Kanda Kandasamy came about, it got me excited.

Arul Kanda was a bit of a legend when I was competing in the Pesta Piala Perdana back in the 1990s. He is a year or two my senior and his debating skills was talked about for years after.

As for Tony Pua, I knew him before he was a politician, when he was a blogger who wrote about education. And of course, we regularly bumped into each other when he first joined the DAP.

Both are known to be very intelligent individuals and to hear that both of them were going to debate over an issue that is is of high national interest, like I said, got me really salivating.

But the question here is will the debate actually solve any issues regarding the controversy-riddled national sovereign wealth fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB)?

The Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has been investigating the matter for many months now and has even changed members, but nothing conclusive has come out of it.

The investigations done by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has also been troubled with controversy with directors being transferred here and there and everywhere.

Let’s not even start on the Cabinet reshuffle which saw Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin being removed as the Deputy Prime Minister because of his calls against the 1MDB scandal.

With all these happening, we’re still far off from having the case resolved and Malaysians being more enlightened with what happened to their hard earned tax payments.

Meanwhile, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia had said he will step down if a debate between Pua and Arul Kanda happens because it will undermine the PAC’s probe.

Ministers and politicians are divided in their views. There are some who are very excited to see the debate happen while others feel that it is just a waste of time.

Apparently, Pua is not allowed to debate and ask questions that are related to the issues being investigated by the PAC. And those are big issues.

In fact, he had even released ten questions that he says will ask Arul Kanda regarding 1MDB and non are related to the PACs confidential material.

And then, it was reported that he will not be debating with Arul Kanda because this could risk his seat in the PAC. The Opposition will now nominate another person to take his place.

However, RTM, which initially offered to host and telecast the debate, have revoked the offer saying that it was only open if the debate took place between Pua and Arul Kanda.

Personally, I doubt the debate would solve anything regarding the scandalous 1MDB issue. But, it would have been a good platform to highlight the issue even more so it won’t be forgotten.

And at the very least, if the debate happens, it would be one hell of an entertaining show!