There should be no pre-conditions attached to the proposed public debate on whether the Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat state government had performed well in the administration of Perak.

In accepting the challenge to a public debate from senior Pakatan leader Ngeh Koo Ham today, BN state executive councillor Mah Hang Soon said no pre-condition should be set for the debate.

Mah said there are no pre-set conditions for public debates on mca youth agm 060310 mah hang soon 01 political issues in foreign countries.

"Let the public decide (on the outcome of the public debate), as to whether BN or Pakatan policies had benefitted them," he said.

"Why set conditions? Or is he (Ngeh) trying to find an excuse to back out from the proposed debate?"

Mah is objecting to Ngeh's pre-condition he should get Menteri Besar Zambry Abd Kadir's endorsement that he (Mah) would be officially representing the BN state government in the debate.

Ngeh's argument is that Mah, like many MCA ministers and state executive councillors, had no say in the policies of the BN, which are dominated by Umno. Therefore, he added, Mah could not claim to represent the BN.

Mah does not accept this argument and insists that no pre-condition should be set if the public debate was to materialise.

Penang political analyst to moderate

Mah said this at a media conference today after meeting state Irrigation and Drainage Department director Abdul Razak Dahalan on the holding of a dialogue session with the people living along the Kinta River in Ipoh, to solicit their help in cleaning up the polluted river.

Mah said he had spoken to Penang-based political analyst Cheah See Kian, who has agreed to be moderator in the public debate.

He would leave it to Cheah to iron out the details and the venue for the debate with Ngeh, the DAP Member of Parliament for Beruas, who has insisted that it be held at the Kwantung Association in Taiping at 8pm on Nov 1.

The war of words broke after Mah recently challenged Ngeh to a debate on the policies implemented by Pakatan during the 11 months it held power in Perak, until the BN was installed as the state government on Feb 6, 2009.

Ngeh has maintained that menteri besar Zambry does not dare to take up the challenge to debate because the BN policies paled in comparison with Pakatan's.