Instead of pleading his case or framing a defence during the parliamentary debate today on the motion to censure him over his '1Malaysia-One Israel' allegations, Anwar Ibrahim (PKR-Permatang Pauh) chose to go on the offensive.

The opposition leader was calm and collected as he faced the House and thundered: "Punish me, evict me, imprison me, I shall not waver".

NONE Anwar ( left ) first jab was directed at Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's for what he claimed was the sudden change of Malaysia' foreign policy which he said used to be ‘firm, staunch and respectable’.

He even went as far as praising his nemesis former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamed. "Despite our disagreements, I respect Tun Mahathir and his policies," said Anwar.

"Our administration from former times was very firm in our views," he said. "But under Najib, when he met US president Obama, he simply agreed that we will send advisors, soldiers and police officers to Afghanistan."

NONE "They concluded that our country was firm on the Iran issue but on Apco's advice, our PM bowed down before Obama. Is this our foreign policy now?"

He then hit out at what he labeled Najib's Apco-advised Israel-friendly ways.

"The problem with our foreign policy now is that we easily give way to Obama when he wants to punish Iran. We blindly obey. If we chastise Iran for having the capacity to build nuclear weapons, we should chastise Israel too."

"The reality is that the PM or his Apco advisers are afraid to touch Israel. This is the problem," accused Anwar.

‘Bill is flawed ’

As for the motion in question, Anwar's defence was to attack its validity.

"I maintain that this bill is flawed. It does not conform to standing order 36 (12). For this I strongly object. This motion was made because of political revenge."

Pakatan Rakyat members of Parliament followed the same line of defence, raising various points in order to see the motion being thrown out of the Dewan or at least recalled by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz on the technicality of its wording.

NONE Their arguments offered little intelligible debate and they were reduced to making loud noises and wild gestures.

Exceptions were few with Gobind Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong) and Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) providing more substantial, if repetitive, claims.

The speaker, however, ruled that the motion was proper as far as he and his deputies were concerned and then threatened more than once to evict errant Pakatan MPs from the House if they persisted in their manner.

The Pakatan MPs responded by walking out en masse when the motion was approved by a voice vote shortly after.

Documents never investigated

Earlier, Anwar concluded his debate by attacking the ‘technical defence’ of Najib and his administration to the allegations of the link between Apco and the Malaysian government.

He claims that they have offered no real challenge to the validity of the facts and supporting documents that he has put forward on '1Malaysia-One Israel'.

"The documents and facts were never investigated," says Anwar, challenging the prime minister, "If these are untrue, ask the PM. Let him answer."

Motion to refer Anwar to privilege committee passed

Great debate: Clash of reason and ideas