Johor: Former Education Minister Maszlee Malik has openly accepted an invitation to debate with Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi ahead of the upcoming Johor state election. Maszlee, who was announced as Pakatan Harapan's (PH) candidate for the Puteri Wangsa seat, expressed his acceptance of the invitation as a gesture of respect for democracy and a belief that such debates could enhance political maturity among the electorate.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the proposed debate has garnered significant public interest, with numerous parties reaching out to Maszlee for confirmation of his participation. Maszlee stated, "With all humility and respect, and guided by democratic values and principles, I accept this invitation or challenge. God willing, we can together make this debate or dialogue a platform to educate the people and elevate the culture of mature politics," in a Facebook post.

The idea of organizing a 'Johor State Election Grand Debate' was initially proposed by social media influencer Muhamad Harris Nasril and later shared on the Redaksi.com Facebook page. This initiative follows PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim's announcement of all 56 PH candidates in Muar yesterday. For the state election, PH is fielding 20 candidates from PKR, 19 from Amanah, and 17 from DAP.

The Election Commission has set this Saturday for nomination day, July 7 for early voting, and July 11 for polling day.