KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 — The maiden Students Parliament set for January 27 will let delegates engage in unfettered debate on Malaysia’s education system, its co-organiser said today.

Former Elected Representatives Association (Mubarak) chief Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Rahman said the topic will give the students an avenue to discuss and propose ideas on the issue that is crucial both to them and the country.

“It’s a holistic issue... it can be from various angles like patriotism, social and so on.

“Since Malaysia is a country that puts so much emphasis on education as the prime mover of our economy, it is apt that the issue be debated,” he told reporters here.

Some 200 students from 19 public universities nationwide will attend the maiden sitting in a project aimed at grooming future leaders, which is similar to the recently convened Youth Parliament.

The students will first attend a three-day workshop beginning January 26 at a resort in Genting Highlands, Pahang, where they will taught the parliamentary process.

“This will help them understand the protocols and learn how issues and policies are debates in the Dewan Rakyat,” Abdul Aziz said on the matter.

But while those close to the establishment have lauded the idea, its critics have claimed bias in the selection of the delegates.

Some student leaders critical of the government accused university authorities of only picking pro-government students to participate in the programme.

International Islamic University Deputy Rector Datuk Mizan Hitam dismissed the claims as untrue.

“As example, we chose students who won the debate competition. We don’t know what their political leanings are but we picked them because they won,” he told the same press conference.

Mizan described the vetting process as “comprehensive” since students representing various associations are picked to partake in the programme.

Abdul Aziz also said that once the Student Parliament “matures”, the organisers may consider using elections to pick the delegates.

The government is expected to pay RM420,000 to finance the programme.

Abdul Aziz said Mubarak is also planning to expand the idea regionally in a bid to groom world class students.

“Maybe we can have an Asean parliament? That is our ambition,” he said.

Mubarak is also looking to pick the best debaters in the Students Parliament for a trip to the United Kingdom, where they can observe the prestigious Oxford Union debate, and possibly the country’s parliamentary debates as well.

He added that he will convey this to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak soon.