KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional (BN) strategic communications deputy director Eric See-To has given PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli three days to convince DAP publicity chief Tony Pua to accept the challenge to a debate on the Penang tunnel project.
See-To in a statement said should Rafizi failed to convince Pua, he will debate the Pandan MP on both the tax issues as well as the tunnel project.
“Being the ‘pakar segala pakar’ (expert of all experts) whose expertise range from the cow-rearing business to Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) tunnel construction cost, to Tabung Haji investment matters and to the airlines aviation business, among many others, Rafizi would have no problem with the Penang Tunnel project debate.
“After three days, he can get Invoke to organise the time and place for both debates,” he said.
See-To earlier had challenged Pua to a debate on the tunnel project but has not heard a peep from the Petaling Jaya Utara MP.
“For all the arrogance, bluster and name-calling of Pua’s multiple replies, the end-result is still that DAP does not dare stand-up to scrutiny over the RM6.34 billion tunnel project.”
Pua, on Friday, had reportedly said that he would not debate See-To, whom he defined as “nobody”.
“When it comes to the tunnel project, the reasons that he gave to avoid the debate include ‘you are a nobody’ and ‘debates are to fool the people’.
“However, when BN declines a debate challenge, Pakatan Harapan (PH) claims that BN has something to hide or being coward. But when they decline a BN debate, they claim that the debate is to cheat the people.
“DAP is now saying that the ordinary people are nobodies, therefore they have no right to question the opposition-held state government over mega-projects involving people’s funds to the tune of billions of ringgit.
“DAP has the God-given right do what they want without being questioned or scrutinised.”
He said Pua no longer considers him a friend.
“He said that I am now swimming with ‘the sharks of BN’ but does not find it hypocritical that he now swims with the biggest shark in the form of the PH chairman (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad),” See-To claimed.
Rafizi had in September issued See-To a challenge to a debate on the national tax collection but on Friday, See-To had said that he would only accept the challenge if he could also debate with Pua on the Penang tunnel project.