Najib will debate with "responsible leaders" and why

by Mansor Rehman (03-05-12) @www.themalaysianinsider.com

The Prime Minister may make light of the survey findings which indicate that most Malaysians want him to debate with Anwar Ibrahim but the sad fact is that this man has too many skeletons and question marks next to his name to risk a debate even with Jelapang Hu.

Therefore the best he can do via his blog (again a safe option so he will not have to answer tough questions from the alternative media) is to talk about only debating with responsible leaders and not those prone to conspiracy theories.

This is diversion 101: when you are stuck, blame the other party. In truth, Najib Razak will not debate with anyone and these are the reasons:

1) He will be asked questions about his deafening silence in the wake of the campaign of violence by his party and their storm troopers, Perkasa, against the Opposition.

2) He will be asked about the ballooning national debt and the irresponsible manner in which his government is spending money to buy votes.

3) He will be asked to justify the unholy haste in which the government is pushing through the listing of FELDA.

4) He will be asked to answer questions on the death of Mongolian model Altantuya Shariibuu, the infamous sms exchange between him and lawyer Shafee Abdullah and the hefty commission paid to a company linked to his confidant in relation to the submarine deal.

5) He will be asked to define his moving 1 Malaysia concept in the wake of his adoption of Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali, Zulkifli Noordin and Hasan Ali.

6) He will be asked to debate the NEP and its love affair with cronies.

7) He will have to discuss the foot-dragging surrounding the National Feedlot Corporation and the reluctance to investigate the Attorney-General Gani Patail over a box full of serious allegations, not to mention the settlement with Tajuddin Ramli (ex-Chairman of Malaysia Airlines).

8) He will have to talk about the government’s embarrassing use of taxpayers money to pay FBC Media and buy good publicity abroad.

9) He will have to talk about his half-baked apology for the past sins of UMNO.

10) He will have to talk about Sodomy II.

A debate will be too onerous for Najib and that is why he will not share the stage with Anwar Ibrahim or anyone. That is the plain truth and it hurts.