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Debate: PM, what are you scared of?
Published:  Jan 13, 2011 8:00 AM
Updated: 3:11 AM

vox populi small thumbnail 'Najib, if you are so confident of your plans that would make Malaysia a developed nation, why are you afraid to debate with Anwar?'

Najib pooh-poohs Anwar's debate dare

Singa Pura Pura: Malaysians cannot possibly lose anything from one debate on the economy between the prime minister and the leader of the opposition. The benefit is multi-fold, and chief amongst it is the provision of a clearer picture of each side's economic agenda for the people to the people.

I sincerely hope it wasn't the Apco advisors who had advised against the PM's participation in the proposed debate.

Ferdtan: Najib Razak, if you are so confident of your financial plans that would make Malaysia a developed nation, why are you afraid to debate with Anwar Ibrahim?

If not, why not send your mentor, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, to debate on your behalf. Since Mahathir loves to talk and the limelight, the debate should pose no problem to him.

Fence Sitter: The head of BN should debate with the head of the opposition. By this debate we, the rakyat, will be able to judge and decide who to vote during 13th general election. PM, please do not send in a novice to debate with one of the best orators. My opinion is that only you, and not even your deputy, can have an even fight with DSAI (Anwar Ibrahim).

Anonymous: Najib after becoming PM has never once shown he has the balls to confront the people or opposition head on:

1) He let P Balasubramaniam's first SD (statutory declaration) that asserts his link with Altantuya Shaariibuu unchallenged like it never existed.

2) Rather than subject himself to a proper criminal investigation into his links with Altantuya, he went and swore in the mosque and act like the whole thing is over.

3) He took away the Perak state government from the people and refused calls for a state election (now isn't that a time for 'people to decide'?)

4) Now when an opposition leader challenged him to a debate on an issue of public interest, where he can impress the people, he ‘cabut' (chicken out) again.

ACR: We can never become first world so long as elected leaders are afraid to debate their policies in public. The reasoning that people's assessment is more important than debating is illogical as only by debating that the public know whose policies make more sense.

Labu: Budak sekolah pun ada acara debate. Ini Najib takut, cakaplah takut. Jangan bagi alasan lah. Berani kerana benar, takut kerana salah.

MACC panel not satisfied with AG's reply

Pemerhati: Most of the appointees to bodies like Suhakam and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), with some rare exceptions, are selected by BN for their boot-licking qualities. Independent minded and high-calibre people would not be selected because they would ask difficult questions and will not allow BN to cover up its numerous wrongdoings.

PM Najib controls everything and he will ensure that MACC or anybody else does not investigate any wrongdoing by attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail as his office, the judiciary and the police manipulated the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial and shielded the person/s, who had the motive to kill her.

Najib also need Gani's expertise to again fix Anwar up in the Sodomy II case. People like Ramon Navaratnam act in a manner that would please Najib, in the hope they would continue to be appointed to such posts and receive the fat allowances and perks.

The principled MACC panel officers should resign if a proper investigation against Gani is not carried out.

Gen2: How come a person who can't understand the simple limits of his authority be appointed the chairman of a national body? Common sense tells you that on such an important issue as the integrity of the country's AG, it is the whole panel who must decide and not a single individual who can come out with such a statement.

How are we going to make Malaysia a first-class country if our leaders cannot understand simple things like this?

Blue Forest: Navaratnam, the MACC panel has contradicted your press statement that the AG was in the clear. How could you as chairman of the MACC panel got it so wrong in making that statement?

I seriously doubt that this was a simple case of miscommunication and misunderstanding on your part. The general public want to know why you were in such a haste to absolve the AG of any wrongdoing. The honourable thing to do now is for you to resign as MACC panel chairman. Period.

Holden: Are they going to dangle AG outside MACC's window until he tells the truth and if he doesn't, will there be another open verdict as to what transpired afterwards?

Khir Toyo surrenders 'Dato Seri' title

Alan Goh: How noble. What about refunding the millions that you acquired during your two terms as Selangor menteri besar and the taxpayers' monies spent on your family trip to Disneyland, Orlando and Tokyo and Paris.

The Sensibility: It will be the first in Malaysian history, and perhaps in the world, that an award is surrendered on "temporary" basis. You might as well surrender all your ill-gotten wealth, not mentioning the lavish overseas trips. Instead of leading the state in the past, you had proven to be a leech.

Changeagent: If the 'willing buyer, wiling seller' defence can be accepted as valid, there would not be anymore corruption practices in Malaysia. Anyone charged would just claim that the deal was done on a mutuallyagreeable basis, and Malaysia will be corruption-free.

As ridiculous as this sounds, Khir Toyo knows that he will be acquitted, hence he is only 'temporarily' surrendering his Dato Seri title.

Ma'arip: Khir, being a dentist, obviously does not know the law. An accused is innocent until proven guilty, so why bother to return the Dato' Seri title unless he already knew that he will be convicted. Or may be he is trying to get rakyat's sympathy and hopefully the judge will consider that before passing the verdict.

Myrights: Khir Toyo knew his title was already going to get revoked, so this is a purely a 'save face' political manoeuvre, sort of like resign first before getting fired.

 


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