Keadilan Youth today challenged Umno Youth to a public debate over purported evidence of graft involving Barisan Nasional leaders.

Keadilan Youths deputy chief Safuddin Nasution Ismail said an invitation letter had been sent to Umno Youth chief Hishamuddin Hussein at his office in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The debate is to be called over certain documents said to contain evidence of bribery involving government leaders as well as embezzlement within certain government-owned corporations, said Saifuddin during a press conference this afternoon.

He said the invitation to debate is in response to Umno Youths challenge to Keadilan to reveal evidence of corruption within the ruling party.

Saifuddin said he has suggested a March date for the debate and for it to be opened to the public as well as for the appointment of an independent moderator.

He said the invitation had been sent to Hishamuddin as he believed that he had information relating to the graft allegations. Former Umno Youth chief Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is also believed to be privy to the information, he added.

In truth, it is all in the knowledge of the former head of Umno Youth Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and also of Hishamuddin, said Saifuddin.

Altered speech

He said some of the information was believed to have been included in a speech that Zahid was intending to make at the Umno 1997 annual general meeting.

Saifuddin, who said he assisted in the preparation of the speech in his previous capacity as Umno Youth secretary, added that a senior and prominent Umno leader, however ordered Zahids speech to be edited.

He said Keadilan Youth chief Ezam Mohd Nor, who is currently detained under the Internal Security Act, had been charged under the Official Secrets Act for divulging these same documents.

The Petaling Jaya Sessions Court which heard the case called for Ezam to defend himself. This proves that the documents were official documents of the Attorney-Generals Chambers and its contents are true, Saifuddin said.

Saifuddin also said that Keadilans claims on the veracity of the documents were supported by 13 police reports  10 of which were made by ex-deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and three by Ezam.

When we checked the original text of Zahids speech, at least four of the issues corresponded to those raised in the police reports, he said.

Desperate act

One of the issues raised included the controversy over the construction of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamads Putrajaya residence, said to cost over RM200m.

Saifuddin also pointed out that both Zahid and Hishamuddin did not deny knowledge of the matter.

Instead they said that the issue was an old one. They also said that this is a desperate action by Saifuddin and Keadilan Youth to save Ezam, he said.

As long as the results of the investigations are not made public, and as long as the Attorney-General does not press charges in court, we (Keadilan Youth) will not accept the matter as closed, he added.

Saifuddin expressed hopes that the debate will be rational and based on facts and documents that both sides have access to.

We want to solve the matter once and for all in a calm manner based on facts and documents that we have obtained, he said, adding that the Malaysian public should be given the opportunity to weigh the arguments of both sides.

Saifudin served as Umno Youth secretary for six years under Zahid, a close ally of former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim who has been jailed for corruption and sodomy.

Zahid was arrested under the Internal Security Act in Sept 1998 but released 10 days later. He is now an ordinary member of Umno Youth and member of parliament for Bagan Datoh.