20  theSun | THURSDAY OCTOBER 30 2008

INTERVIEWS VIEWS

How you can take part

THOSE who want to participate in the debate
or contribute as a sponsor, email hrdebate08@
malaysianbar.org.my or call Khaizan Sharizad at
019-695 8939 or Chin Oy Sim at 03-2031 6367.
The deadline is Nov 10. Details regarding the
For the sake of argument
applicable fees and methods of payment are: Human Rights
I. Debate Tournament & The Law
For participants
by Seira Sacha Abu Bakar
» RM250 per person (for debater)
» RM250 per person (for adjudicator)
»
W
RM250 per person (for officer/observer) HAT is a “debate”?
• (Fee includes food and hotel Wikipedia says
accommodation) (http://en.wikipedia.
• Every team must have two debaters and org/wiki/Debate) that it “is a
one adjudicator. formal method of interactive
and position representational
For ‘Stay At Home’ participants argument”. That still does not
» RM180 per person (for debater) say very much.
» RM180 per person (for adjudicator) But how does a debate look
» RM180 per person (for officer/observer) like? See the US presidential
• (Fee includes food) debates between Senator Barack
• Every team must have two debaters Obama and Senator John
and one adjudicator. McCain, and closer to home, we
witnessed Information Minister
II. Public Speaking Competition Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek go
» RM50 per person (fee includes food) head-to-head with Opposition
» Payment procedure Leader Datuk Seri Anwar
(1) Send fee(s) via wire transfer/direct deposit Ibrahim on television (pic, right).
by Nov 10 to the following bank account:
• Account Name: Bar Council Why debate?
• Account No: 301-022166-001 Why not host a forum or
• Bank: HSBC, No 2, Leboh Ampang, 50050 discussion instead? Well, it
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is more fun to debate, firstly.
• Swift Code: HBMBMYKL Participants aim to win, rather
After transferring or sending your fee, email than stick to the “agree to
hrdebate08@malaysianbar.org.my, and tell us disagree” notion we usually
your name, law firm/institution/organisation (if see in a forum. There are
any), and the amount of money you transferred/ rules enabling debaters to put
sent. Alternatively, send cheque(s) made in favour forward their arguments within
of the “Bar Council”. a framework defining how they
are to interact. You lose points
when you do not make the
For more information on the tournament, please arguments properly, or throw
visit our blog at www.hrdebate08.wordpress. water at your opponents!
com. Debating also makes the
debater a “better” person – when
you cannot agree on a certain
issue with the other, arguing a
point logically and coherently
makes one stronger pursuant to
the strength of one’s argument.
One has to shape the argument
by sticking to the points and
standing by them. Not very
different from what litigators do
in court every day.
And even if one does not
believe in the argument, one has
to make it and defend it. Again,
lawyers are used to this!
Debating human rights
issues is probably quite novel for
Malaysians. But the 30 articles
of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (UDHR) have
been hotly contested for some 60
years now. It is after all the 60th
anniversary of the UDHR.
The unique Human Rights
Debate tournament the Bar
Council is hosting this year is
themed “UDHR @ 60 and still not
all is right”. It seeks to, among
others, refine our arguments on
human rights – how has the
UDHR benefited humankind,
do we still need it, is it time
for a new “rights order”,
what does the future hold
for the UDHR, and has the
UDHR caused the world more
misery?
Speaking for myself, the
principles of the UDHR
have survived and more
importantly, on many
occasions, “defeated”
apartheid, racism and even
the most powerful military
force in the world – the United
States.
What are some of the topics
of the Debate?
We cannot reveal the topics
now. But let me give some
hints. Let us take the topic
of “cultural relativism” – the
concept that an individual’s
belief and activities should be
understood in terms of her/his
own culture. This view holds
that one’s religious, ethical,
aesthetic and political beliefs
are completely relative to
one’s culture, identity and
place of birth/domicile. Others
disagree.
I had the opportunity of
witnessing such a debate on
the issue among members of
the Human Rights Committee
recently, and was thoroughly
impressed with the arguments
which were put forward
passionately in a civilised
manner.
The right to abortion. There
are pro-choice and pro-life
supporters in our midst.
What should we do about
this issue? Why do people
support abortion, and why do
others oppose it? What are the
reasons? (Incidentally, I just
found out that abortion under
certain circumstances is legal
in Malaysia. See sections 312
and 315 of the Penal Code.)
How will the Debate be run?
The Debate will run based
on the “British Parliamentary
Debating Format” where
there would be four positions
on a particular debate topic
– the opening government,
closing government, opening
opposition and closing
opposition. Each position will
be represented by a team of
two members. As such, there
will be eight debaters for each
debate topic.
Each speaker is allocated
seven minutes to present her/
his arguments, and a “Point
of Information” is allowed
to be given after the first and
sixth minute of each speaker’s
argument. There will be
five preliminary rounds as
well as breaking rounds of
quarter-finals, semi-finals and
the final.
Why participate in this
Debate?
Because you can and want to!
With so many issues we face
today, it is truly apt that a safe
space is badly needed in our
country to allow dissenting
voices and differing opinions.
I present to you the Bar
Council Human Rights
Committee’s Inaugural
Human Rights Debate
tournament 2008 to be held
on Dec 9-12 at the Bar Council
and KDU College, Petaling
Jaya.
The brainchild of Khaizan
Sharizad (aka Sherrie), the
Bar Council Human Rights
Committee will play host to
this unique tournament which
has attracted and will attract
renowned debaters from
around the world. Already,
we have many debaters
expressing interest.
Our panel of adjudicators
includes international-class
debaters such as Mohd Faisal
Moideen (National champion
and lawyer from Malaysia),
Neill Harvey Smith (Worlds
Council Debating Chairperson
and Worlds finalist from
Oxford), Sharmilla Parmanand
(Australasian finalist and
Asian champion from Ateneo
de Manila) and Adiba Shareen
(Asian champion and Worlds
Council Registrar from
Malaysia).
Alternatively, if you wish
to engage with the audience
and speak your mind freely,
but you are too shy to do
it formally in the Debate,
we will have a “Speakers’
Corner” in a form of a Public
Speaking Competition where
non-debaters will be able to
speak up.
Seira Sacha Abu Bakar is
a member of the Human
Rights Committee, Bar
Council Malaysia. For more
information, see www.
malaysianbar.org.my/hrc.
The views expressed in this
article are personal to the
writer and may not necessarily
represent the position of the
Bar. Complaints of rights
violations may be forwarded
to oysim@malaysianbar.org.
my for the consideration of the
Committee. However, we make
no assurance that all cases will
adopted for action.