'I can face you too': Loke challenges Wee to debate

 

MALACCA POLLS | DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has expressed his displeasure over MCA president Wee Ka Siong’s decision to issue a debate challenge to DAP’s Bandar Hilir candidate, Leng Chau Yen.

Loke (above, left) described MCA's one-sided challenge as an attempt to bully the candidate - whom he acknowledged has some personal shortcomings - instead of offering fair political competition across all constituencies.

“We know that our candidate faces personal challenges, but that does not mean she cannot serve as a candidate. She has her own unique strengths. She has proven herself there before.

“That is why I stress that challenging only in this one constituency is unfair. If he wants to challenge because of certain weaknesses or difficulties in our candidate, what about other areas like Kelebang or Machap Jaya? Can they also try to debate?” he told reporters after officiating the Federal Territory DAP Annual Convention in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, today.

Earlier, in his opening speech, Loke, who is also the transport minister, stressed that DAP has never been afraid of any form of political challenge.

He even challenged Wee to a debate on their respective administrative track records at the Transport Ministry.

DAP’s Bandar Hilir candidate Leng Chau Yen

“Why challenge only Bandar Hilir? If you want to challenge, challenge all the constituencies... Your seat, your candidate, everyone debates. Do you dare?

“You want to challenge face to face? I can face you too. What did you do as transport minister, and what did Loke do as transport minister?” the DAP secretary-general asked.

'What does it have to do with me?'

In response to this, Wee said that the original debate challenge was supposed to be between the Bandar Hilir candidates.

“What has this (debate) got to do with me?

“Jasmine Lok asked me if she could debate her opponent for the Bandar Hilir seat, Leng, so the issue on the parking system can be put to rest.

“I told her to go ahead,” Wee told Free Malaysia Today, referring to the Malacca MCA information chief.

Jasmine Lok (in white) is MCA's candidate for Bandar Hilir

Wee, however, said it would also be unfair to debate his achievements as transport minister, as that term was during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The MCA chief further dismissed Loke’s accusations that he was a bully and was trying to take advantage of Leng’s speech impediment.

“How is asking two candidates to debate bullying?

“And I didn’t even know of Leng’s speech impediment until Loke mentioned it,” Wee stressed.

Debate dare

On Thursday, Wee, who is also the Ayer Hitam MP, announced that MCA had been allocated Bandar Hilir as an additional state seat for BN to contest in this Malacca election, besides its traditional seats such as Kelebang and Machap Jaya.

Following the seat allocation, Wee challenged DAP’s candidate in Bandar Hilir to a meeting and an open debate.

In the 2021 Malacca state election, Leng, 43, won the Bandar Hilir seat with a majority of 7,778 votes in a four-cornered contest.

Perikatan Nasional had initially intended to contest the seat but handed it back to BN. In Bandar Hilir, Chinese voters account for 73 percent of the electorate, compared with Malays at 12.9 percent, Indians at 6.4 percent, and other voters at 6.8 percent.

The Election Commission has set Nov 14 as polling day for the Malacca state election, with early voting on Nov 10. - Mkini