During a heated debate within the Selangor state assembly, PKR's Seri Setia assemblyperson Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad was challenged to repeat his allegations against Umno's Permatang assemblyperson Sulaiman Abdul Razak which involved Kolej Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Selangor (Kuis).

Nik Nazmi had brought up a case from 2012 which involved a company, owned by Sulaiman, which had been awarded a contract in 2007 to build dormitories and a student centre for Kuis students.

Sulaiman immediately protested against this, as he said this involved a court case, though Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali later said trial proceedings are completed and the case is awaiting decision.

As such, the state assembly deputy speaker Mohd Shafie Ngah allowed Nik Nazmi to continue, without mentioning the company's name after more protests from Sulaiman.

Nik Nazmi said the Selangor state government, which was led by then MB Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo, had signed an agreement awarding Sulaiman's company a 33-year concession to build and rent the facilities to Kuis.

"That means, for 33 years, (the company) will get windfall while Kuis management is tied up with a biased concession which burdens the university and its students," he said in the state assembly.

Throughout this, Sulaiman challenged Nik Nazmi several times to repeat these allegations outside of the Dewan.

"I challenge you to make this statement outside the Dewan. Do not accuse. If you want to accuse, do it outside," he said.

Nik Nazmi later repeated his statements, including the company's name, at the Annexe building at the state secretariat.

"I am ready (for legal action) because this is public domain. I didn't make up this story out of nowhere.

"There were reports three, four years ago on this... so it is public domain.

"If he wants to sue, sue all (who reported on this previously)," he told reporters in a press conference later.

However, when Sulaiman (photo) was later informed of this, he said Nik Nazmi did not actually accept his challenge of repeating his allegations outside the "Dewan" as that means outside the gates of the state secretariat.

"He (Nik Nazmi) wants to manipulate by repeating, still within the Dewan area. This (the Annexe building) is still considered Dewan area.

"Outside the Dewan means outside the state secretariat. That is the interpretation by the speaker.

"To me, this is not accepting my challenge," Sulaiman said in his press conference held right after Nik Nazmi's.

As such, he will not be initiating any legal action against Nik Nazmi.

It will be useless, he explained, as the speaker had already classified the entire state secretariat as still within Dewan boundaries.

Legacy from Umno-BN government

Before the argument inside the state assembly broke out, Nik Nazmi was initially replying to a question on Universiti Selangor's liabilities which was brought up by Sulaiman yesterday, by explaining that it is a legacy left behind by the Selangor government as led by Umno-BN.

"Majority of the liability are debts inherited from the time of the Umno-BN ruling government and bank loans from Bai Bithaman Ajil Islamic debt securities (BAIDS), a type of sukuk.

"Permatang should realise that the issue he brought up is more or less an issue of legacy from the Umno-BN government because of the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) model which was the norm then," Nik Nazmi said in the state assembly today.

Sulaiman said in his press conference that he would accept the explanation that Unisel's liabilities are a legacy from BN, but Nik Nazmi had tried to divert the issue.

"Our issue is about Unisel, I asked for an explanation.

"I can accept if he wants to say it is a legacy from BN, but he diverted the issue to Kuis which has nothing to do with it," he said.

Sulaiman also declined to comment further on the Kuis issue as it is still an ongoing court case.

In 2012, he denied PKR's claims that he had reaped millions of ringgit in 2005 through a sweetheart deal with Kuis.