Anwar demands debate with Najib once more

By Yow Hong Chieh

January 14, 2012

Anwar making exchanges with Pakatan Rakyat faithful as he leaves at the end of the 3rd Pakatan Rakyat Convention in Alor Setar. — Picture by Jack Ooi

ALOR STAR, Jan 14 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has once again challenged the prime minister to debate him publicly over national policies and the country’s direction.

The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leader 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.

The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition has criticised PR’s alternative policies as populist and mere rhetoric.

“It’s not Datuk Seri Najib who should decide if [PR policies] amount to rhetoric or are populist, neither the leadership of Pakatan Rakyat.

“I repeat my request for an open debate between myself and Datuk Seri Najib on the nation’s policies,” he told the PR convention today.

This is the third such challenge issued by PKR de facto leader to Najib, who has so far declined to go head-to-head with the former deputy prime minister.

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