KUALA LIMPUR (May 12): The debate between PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on Sapura Energy Bhd (SEB) and issues related to the country's future went smoothly on Thursday night.

About 400 people including political leaders, corporate figures, economic experts, academicians, university students and supporters of both leaders attended the debate, which started at 9pm at Auditorium Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia Tourism Centre  (MaTiC) here.

The debate comprised three segments, with the first part touching on problems faced by oil and gas company SEB and whether it should be rescued or not.

The second part was about "Malaysia's Future", encompassing aspects of the economy, politics and governance and the country's direction, while the third part was reserved for a question-and-answer session.

To ensure there were no untoward incidents, tight security checks were imposed on those entering the debate hall.