The Batu Sapi by-election opposition candidates seem to be focusing their crosshairs on different targets as both issued debate challenges for Sunday.

PKR's Ansari Abdullah was the first to throw down the gauntlet, calling on SAPP's Yong Teck Lee and BN's Linda Tsen Thau Lin to face him in a three-way debate scheduled for 2pm this weekend at Sanbay Hotel.

"The objective of this debate is for candidates to present their agenda for the people to judge," he said during the party's daily morning briefing.

NONE Yong, however, swatted aside Ansari's ( left ) challenge, instead issuing his own dare to Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman to prove that SAPP's struggles for Sabah rights, ‘Sabah for Sabahans' and Borneonisation are "outdated".

While clearly stating that he would "leave Linda alone", the SAPP president was not nearly as gracious with Ansari, saying that the PKR candidate "speaks for nobody".

Yong also implied that he is at the level of senior Pakatan Rakyat leaders such as de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, and not interested in entertaining Ansari who is "only the ketua cabang (division chief) of Tuaran".

"Who is he speaking for? Ansari has no locus standi to challenge anybody on Batu Sapi or national issues," Yong said at a press conference at their Karamunting office this afternoon.

"I think he wants to complain about the jetty lah . I have been to Pulau Timbang and all the villages on the islands many months ago, and I could see the jetties were in bad condition.

"As a fellow candidate on the campaign trail, there are many risks and I'm sorry you had to fall down. But when you see a jetty in bad condition, you pandai-pandai lah (use your judgment)," he said.

Musa deemed irresponsible

Yong had earlier launched salvoes at Musa for saying that the Sabah for Sabahans and Borneonisation slogans are outdated, saying the Chief Minister was being irresponsible.

NONE Citing the Malaysia agreement and the Cobbold Commission, Yong contended that both issues are clearly outlined in these two agreements and Sabahans have every reason to demand that their rights be upheld.

Yong ( right ) said it is incumbent on Musa, as the head of the state government, to join the debate scheduled from noon to 2pm at Dewan Hakka along Jalan Labuk, Sandakan, to justify why the Sabah for Sabahans and Borneonisation issues are outdated.

"We will show that these issues are not outdated, they have been overdue for the past 47 years. If he doesn't come, then he is outdated," Yong said.