WHEN TRUTH APPEARS, LIES RETREAT: As expected, Tee DARED NOT debate PR reps

As expected, MCA MP for Labis Chua Tee Yong chickened out of his own debate challenge despite the Pakatan Rakyat sending four representatives for him pick and choose to thrash out the Talam debt restructuring issue.

"They missed their chance to expose us or are they afraid to be exposed!" PAS MP for Kuala Selangor said on Twitter.

"Night of Shame. Chua Tee Yong dare not debate Talam issue with Tony Pua, Dr Dzul or Faekah and I. When truth appears lies retreat," PKR MP for Selayang William Leong said on Twitter.

"He was there, MCA event, but he didn't let us debate him. If Khalid & d state govt entrust us to debate/speak on behalf, what's d problem? I don't demand to debate Najib like a spoiltbrat," was DAP MP for PJ Utara Tony Pua's response.

"Talam - Chua TY baru saja terlepas peluang membuktikan tuduhannya thdp Sel apabila tidak mampu berdebat dgn wakil sah MB," Faekah Husin, the political secretary to Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim said.

Bid to ambush Khalid backfires

The 3 MPs and Faekah had been sent to the MCA event, the timing and venue of which was suddenly announced the night before in an apparent bid to ambush ad embarrass Khalid.

The Selangor chief minister has already declined invitation, pointing out that Tee Yong would do better to debate with Tony, who had earlier initiated a debate challenge to Tee Yong.

But Tee Yong had refused to debate Tony and to deflect accusations that he was cowardly, he had challenged Khalid instead. Pundits believe Tee Yong knew very well Khalid would not accept given the gap in their status and since Tony had already thrown down the gauntlet to Tee Yong.

"Tonight is the proof. Tee Yong thought he was very smart but craftiness and low-level cunning are not qualities that are well respected by Malaysians," a PKR veteran who had accompanied the 4 reps to the 'debate' told Malaysia Chronicle.

"He has the right to chew Selangor leaders over Talam but if they respond and furnish an independent auditor's report as they have done, it is only fair and honorable for Tee Yong to accept Tony's debate challenge if he still wants to dispute the issue. But what we see is Tee Yong pulling all these cheating tricks that only amplify his calibre or lack of it. It is very disappointing."

Commotion

The four PR representative had arrived to cheers and claps from half of the audience present at the Pusat Belia Antarabangsa, Bandar Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur.

However, after Tee Yong insisted on debating Khalid and no one else but Khalid, they left the hall to loud jeers from MCA supporters in the audience. It was indeed that the organiser, MCA Bandar Tun Razak, had suddenly announced the event, venue and timing even though Khalid had already turned it down.

According to Malaysian Insider, a brief commotion broke out outside the hall with shouts and pushes from supporters of both MCA and PR.

Tony, Dzulkefly and William had previously challenged Tee Yong to attend a forum on the Talam issue in Labis, Johor this Sunday.

Last week, Khalid said that top audit firm KPMG had cleared the Selangor government of any irregularities in its RM392 million debt recovery exercise involving the company formerly known as Talam Corporation and declared it a “sound commercial decision”.

Tee Yong and MCA had alleged that the state government’s dealings with Talam — now known as Trinity Corporation — was lopsided and had ended up costing taxpayers up to RM1 billion.