The Home Ministry will allow a debate between former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tourism and Culture Minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz to be held on March 25 in Kuala Kangsar, Perak.

Deputy Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed said he had received an application from the organisers to hold the debate.

"The application has been submitted and we will approve it. In fact, I support it (the debate)," he said this when asked whether the organisers of the debate had submitted an application for a permit to hold the debate.

He was speaking to reporters at the 227th Prisons Day and the National Anti-Drugs Day 2017 celebrations at the Simpang Renggam Prison, Kluang today.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi launched the event.

The debate, which will be held at the Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) Sultan Azlan Shah in Kuala Kangsar, will touch on several issues, including the Bumiputra Malaysia Finance scandal which rocked the nation in the 1990s.

On another matter, Nur Jazlan revealed thus far, a total of 17,000 of the 50,000 prisoners had been released nationwide through the parole system for their good behaviour while serving sentence.

"Although the figure seems large, in fact this programme (parole) did not receive good response from the prisoners' families who are still traumatised by the attitude of the prisoners and unsure if the inmates can fully repent and be rehabilitated in prison," he said.

Nur Jazlan hoped the newly-launched Correctional Foundation by the deputy prime minister today could improve the prisoners' skills and rehabilitate them through various programmes.

"These programmes are aimed at providing training to the Prisons Department staff so they can teach essential life skills to the inmates.

"It is important that former convicts are able to lead a normal life after serving sentence as they may not be accepted by their own families," he said.

- Bernama