The UMNO General Assembly 2016, scheduled to be held at the end of this month, may be the last assembly for the party before the 14th general election (GE14) and hence, should be fully utilised by the delegates to convey the people's voice to the party leadership.

As such, several political analysts opine that it is important for the selected delegates to avoid cracking poor jokes during the debate of the motions even if they view it as an attractive point.

Universiti Utara Malaysia senior lecturer in political and international studies, Md Shukri Shuib, said besides being a waste of time, those poor jokes could also create unfavourable perception to the party.

"Deliver a speech as a wise politician and stop cracking unnecessary jokes because the time given is very limited, make full use of it to convey important messages.

"It is undeniable that injecting humorous elements (into your speech) can be vital, especially when the audience were losing interest and sleepy, but if the entire speech is filled with poor jokes, it will be meaningless," he told Bernama recently.

Md Shukri also said debaters should realise that their presence at the assembly was due to the trust given by the people which must be conveyed with full honesty.

"If there is a need to criticise, try to make constructive criticisms as often stated by party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak," he said.

Echoing the same view was the senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara Communications and Media Studies Faculty, Assoc Prof Dr Ismail Sualman, who said great speakers did not require elements of humor in their speech to capture the attention of the audience.

"What's the point of going up on that stage but wasting the time given by cracking poor jokes? It is just like making noise with an empty can," he said.

Asked on matters that may be raised by debaters, Ismail said the cost of living issues would likely dominate this year's assembly.

He said as an assembly which, among other things, served as a platform to formulate the government's policy, it was not wrong for selected debaters to voice out the views and complaints of the people at the grassroots level.

"This is the place for the delegates to express the views of the people, especially those in the opposition-led states.

"So, do speak out, but speak wisely and in gentlemanly manner according to our Malay customs and civilisation," Ismail said.

For geostrategist Azmi Hassan, a line should be drawn for all debaters in voicing out their opinion because the assembly would not only attract the attention of the people in the country, but also the international community.

"Crossing the line can lead to instability of the party, but censorship should not be unduly restrictive," he said.

Azmi added that this year's assembly should demonstrate that UMNO was still strong, had remained united and fully prepared to face the GE14.

Over 3,200 delegates are expected to attend the UMNO general assembly 2016 at the Putra World Trade Centre from Nov 29 to Dec 3. -- Bernama