Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz has insisted that his debate with Dr Mahathir Mohamad will take place as scheduled on March 25.

He also rubbished former information minister Zainuddin Maidin's claim that Umno might pull the plug on the much anticipated debate on the prexet of it breaching party discipline.

Without mincing words, Nazri described Zainuddin, who is widely known as Zam, as a “stupid fellow”.

“He is not in the government any longer. Whatever he says is rubbish,” the minister told Malaysiakini.

According to Nazri, the debate was not even raised during the last cabinet meeting.

The Padang Rengas MP said if he was to be barred from facing Mahathir, this would have been relayed to him during the cabinet meeting.

Later today, Nazri announced that the Padang Rengas Umno division has been instructed to apply for a police permit to hold the debate.

He said he had ordered the division's secretary to seek the permission from the authorities, and added that the debate had nothing to do with the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 as its objective was to debate.

Acting Perak police chief Hasnan Hassan said this morning that so far,
nobody had applied for a permit to organise a gathering.

In a blog posting, Zainuddin said Nazri should have sought permission from Umno or Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak before agreeing to the debate.

Zainuddin also claimed that Nazri's actions appeared to have belittled the abilities of Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak and Umno information chief Annuar Musa, who are seen as being capable of only stabbing Mahathir from behind, either out of respect or fear.

The topics of the debate, which is slated to take place at MRSM Kuala Kangsar, would include 1MDB, the RM2.6 billion in Najib's accounts, the East Coast Rail Line Project (ECRL) and the BMF scandal, which occurred during Mahathir's tenure as prime minister.

Meanwhile, Nazri also commented on the police not having received an application regarding the debate, and the decision to hold it in a school.

“First of all, this is not my responsibility. This is the responsibility of Sinar Harian, the organiser, and Mahathir's group beause they are the ones who challenged me. You have to ask them.

“As for the school, we are not having a demonstration. This is a debate, and so the police understand. Anyway, I think they have gone to the police (to seek permission). The only thing is that the police want a letter from MRSM to state it (the debate) is allowed. I think it is all done.

“It (the debate will continue). It will go on, no problem,” he said.

As for him not representing Umno or the government at the debate, Nazri said this was mentioned by others, and not him.

On the same note, Nazri wanted to know if Mahathir was representing the opposition.