PETALING JAYA, Feb 20 — PKR called today for Datuk Seri Najib Razak to take on his rival Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in a public debate after Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor indicated the ruling coalition’s “readiness” to meet any such challenge.
PKR secretary general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution told reporters today he would reach out to Tengku Adnan to begin efforts on behalf of their respective party leaders to make the debate happen.
“I believe the statement by the secretary general of Umno and BN was not made lightly. I hope we can get this rolling. I’m ready to discuss with him, on behalf of his president, to begin efforts to see if these two leaders can take part in a debate,” the Machang MP said.
Tengku Adnan said yesterday “we are open (to participating) if there are any (challenges),” and described debates such as Saturday’s clash between MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng as "healthy”.
The highly anticipated debate between the two rivals drew a full house of 800 and was screened on Astro in Mandarin and also with a Malay translation.
Umno president Najib has so far refused to take on Opposition Leader Anwar in a debate.
The PKR de facto leader has repeatedly challenged the prime minister to a public debate on national policies and the country’s direction.
Anwar has said an open debate between himself and Datuk Seri Najib Razak would let voters decide for themselves if the opposition pact’s policies had merit.
But Saifuddin (picture) noted today that Najib has said “if he debates with Anwar, Anwar will get a fever and at the Selangor BN convention, he said he was not afraid and ready.”
He added that aside from the Dr Chua-Lim debate, PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli and Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin also went toe-to-toe in London recently.
“I gladly receive this readiness from BN leaders to debate opposition leaders which is a departure from what Umno information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan said before, that political debates are not in our culture,” he said.
Anwar’s calls for an open debate has so far been answered only once in July 2008 by then-information minister, Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, an event broadcast live on national television.
Independent pollsters Merdeka Center revealed earlier this week that focus group discussions showed that most Malay professionals would like to see Anwar and Najib go go toe-to-toe on policy issues.
“There appears to be a change in what the people want. They want a new culture of debate rather than smear campaigns,” Merdeka Center director Ibrahim Suffian had said.
