Wee: Guan Eng giving excuses to avoid debating with me
PETALING JAYA: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s refusal to debate the undersea tunnel project on the basis of party position contradicts the challenges he has made to others in the past, said Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
The MCA deputy president said Lim previously challenged a slew of people to debates and none was of the same rank as him.
“What happened to only debating at your level, Guan Eng?” Dr Wee asked on Facebook Live yesterday.
Lim turned down Dr Wee’s challenge by stating that he would not downgrade his position as DAP secretary-general to debate with MCA’s “number two”.
Citing examples, Dr Wee said Lim had chal- lenged then Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop to a debate on Nov 28, 2011, on the extension of the concession period for the Penang Bridge by 17 years and the Butterworth-Kulim Expressway by 11 years.
“Nor Mohamed was a federal minister then with no posts in Umno,” he said.
On April 7, 2016, Lim accepted an invitation to debate from then Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan – Barisan Nasional’s strategic communications director – on the controversial sale of the Taman Manggis land in Penang, Dr Wee added.
And on Feb 7 last year, he said, Lim challenged Federal Territories Minister and Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor to debate on making Penang a federal territory.
Dr Wee said Lim had also wanted to take on then Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, a civil servant, over the Penang Voluntary Patrol Unit.
Dr Wee said it was strange that Lim could challenge those individuals without caring about their rank, but is now citing position when responding to his invitation.
“Is your rank only high enough to debate senior civil servants, Guan Eng?
“Do I not merit the same courtesy as those people (you) challenged to debate?
“I lead the MCA as deputy president and a member of the Cabinet. Are you insinuating that my post ranks lower than any of those above?” said Dr Wee.
He added that he was challenging Lim to a debate in the latter’s capacity as the chief minister on a subject that concerns Penang, and it has nothing to do with his party position.
He added that Lim was using “all sorts of excuses” to reject his challenge to avoid public inspection of the Penang government.
In Sepang, MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai told Lim to stop hiding behind his position as Penang Chief Minister.
“The debate is not about positions, as it is aimed at providing answers to Malaysians who are questioning the controversial undersea tunnel saga. It is crucial for Lim to provide answers,” said Liow.