Hasni, who is also vying for the seat, said he was open to Maszlee’s suggestion for a debate but believed that it should not be held during the campaign period for the general election (GE15).

The Benut assemblyman said he preferred having dialogues with voters than debating his rivals for the seat.

“I think the people of Simpang Renggam aren’t interested in hearing (public debates) any more,” he said when met during a walkabout in Taman Desa Sejahtera here.

Yesterday, Maszlee said candidates for the Simpang Renggam seat planned to have a debate a day or two before polling. The former Simpang Renggam MP claimed Hasni had agreed to participate.

Hasni clarified that he only had a short conversation with Maszlee on the matter, adding that a debate was unnecessary for the nationwide polls.

Maszlee is seeking to defend his seat against Hasni, Perikatan Nasional’s Fazrul Kamat and Pejuang’s Kamal Kusmin.