Pakatan Rakyat leaders added to the growing calls for Prime Minister Najib Razak to hold an open debate with his counterpart in the opposition, Anwar Ibrahim, amid rising concerns the recent spate of sex-scandals and conspiracies would erode public and investor confidence in the country.
“They should have an open debate session that is live telecast for the whole of Malaysia to watch. Anwar has already invited Najib to have one and he wanted to discuss the Buku Jingga,” said Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming told Malaysia Chronicle.
"Now they should also open up the debate to the latest sex video scandal because that will hit on our society and culture."
He was referring to a video tape that suddenly cropped up last week showing a man who resembled Anwar cavorting with a female prostitute. Anwar has denied being the man in the tape, while three Umno members including former Malacca chief minister Rahim Thamby Chik and Perakasa treasurer Shuaib Lazim have confessed to screen the tape.
The rationale given by the Umno men was that they wanted to alert Malaysians to Anwar's lack of morals. Few Malaysians believed their story and think they are fronting for the Umno elite in a conspiracy aimed to 'finish' off Anwar's political career.
According to Kor Ming, refusal to debate is a manifestation of cowardliness and it would show that the PM is not confident of being able to withstand the trail of queries and rebuttals from the opposition, he said.
He added that in many democratic countries, it was common practice for political leaders to have open debates to better inform the people of the national issues that would affect their lives so that they had a say in what sort of direction the country should take to overcome any problems.
"There is no point in the PM giving monologues without letting the opposition speak," according to Nga.
Politics of ideas
Seri Setia assemblyman Nik Nazmi told Malaysia Chronicle that there is never a bad time for open debate.
“People want politics of ideas. They are sick of gutter politics. The open debate should discuss the Buku Jinggaand whether it can be implemented in Malaysia,” said Nik Nazmi.
Buku Jingga or Orange Book is the Pakatan Rakyat's blue print of the way forward for the country. It details ten of the immediate social and economic reforms the Pakatan would implement within 100 days of wresting federal power including the abolishment of oppressive laws such as the Internal Security Act and Sedition Act.
Kota Raja MP Dr Siti Mariah said that the two leaders should put aside the sex video scandal and have open debate on issues that were more 'useful'.
She also said Najib claimed to be very successful and had challenged the Buku Jingga, so he should not fear coming forward to discuss the Umno version of the Buku Jingga.
“But I don’t think Najib is up to it. He will not want to have an open debate with Anwar,” said Siti. - Malaysia Chronicle
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