PKR Youth has challenged Umno Youth vice-chief Khairul Azwan Harun to a debate, following his insistence that there is a purported high-profile plot to topple Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and the BN.

PKR Youth deputy chief Dr Afif Bahardin said in a statement today the challenge was issued based on Khairul Azwan’s latest reported statement, from his speech at the Teluk Kemang Umno divisional meeting last Saturday.

“PKR Youth is ready to sponsor the location and invite local as well as foreign media to cover the debate. Khairul Azwan just needs to name the place, date and time.

“As PKR Youth deputy chief, I am also ready to be on the same stage with him and debate on this alleged conspiracy,” Afif, who is the Seberang Jaya assemblyperson, added.

He said the debate could tentatively be titled, 'DOJ suit: A conspiracy to topple the prime minister?”

This is in reference to the civil suit filed by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to recover nearly US$1 billion in assets linked to troubled state investment fund 1MDB.

'Suit part of an international conspiracy'

Najib and other top Umno leaders have cautioned that the DOJ lawsuit could be part of an international conspiracy to destabilise the BN government.

In his police report lodged last month, Khairul Azwan accused former Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz, former attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail and former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Abu Kassim Mohamed of conspiring to topple Najib.

Police closed the case after determining that the report was based on hearsay, but a defiant Khairul Azwan has repeatedly insisted that he has successfully foiled the purported plot with his police report.

Last Saturday, Khairul Azwan again defended his police report, claiming that it had also foiled Mahathir’s plan to supposedly hold a press conference for the international media in Jakarta on July 26, with the intention of attacking Najib.

Mahathir yesterday denied this claim by Khairul Azwan and instead hinted that the trio - Zeti, Gani and Abu Kassim - could have been betrayed by one among them. He refused to elaborate on this, or clarify on whether he meant the alleged turncoat was one of the three.