GEORGE TOWN: After imposing several conditions for accepting MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong’s debate challenge on the controversial Penang undersea tunnel project, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today imposed yet another condition.
He asked Wee to name the state government leader who had received tens of millions of ringgit in corruption money for the project.
The DAP secretary-general had previously said he would only debate MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai as Wee was just a No 2 in the party. He also said he would only accept Wee’s debate challenge if the latter contested in his parliamentary consitutuency in Bagan.
Last Friday, Guan Eng and his father, Kit Siang, failed to turn up at a forum on the tunnel scandal even though they were specially invited.
The forum, held on Guan Eng’s own turf in Bagan, featured Wee, Barisan Nasional strategic communication deputy chairman Datuk Eric See-To and Penang MCA chairman Datuk Tan Teik Cheng, who each took to the stage to speak on the tunnel scandal.
In his latest statement issued today, Guan Eng said he would only debate Wee on both the tunnel project and 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) if he named the state government leader who had received tens of millions of ringgit in corruption money for the tunnel project.
“I have said that I will debate with Wee if he contests in Bagan against me or he becomes MCA president or if he can get Liow to admit that he (Liow) is afraid of debating with me. Wee is clearly unable to do so and demonstrates his contempt of basic political etiquette and democratic decorum, that political leaders debate each other and not underlings.
“Wee cannot hide the shame of Liow, who is not as brave as his predecessor, Tan Sri Dr Chua Soi Lek. Liow had refused to debate with me on 1MDB and the tunnel project.
“By repeating his willingness to debate with me, Wee is only highlighting the shame of Liow not daring to debate with me. Is Wee indulging in opportunistic self-promotion to put Liow in a bad light in the eyes of MCA members?”
Guan Eng said failure on the part of Wee to name the corrupty state government leader would prove that this was another example of Wee spreading fake news
Yesterday, Wee said that Guan Eng and his father must be reeling in shame after what must be the biggest blow to DAP’s pride since its formation – both the party’s secretary-general and de-facto leader were ducking a public debate where the secretary-general was accused of involvement in a RM20.5 billion scandal in his parliamentary seat of Bagan in the very state where he was chief minister.
He noted that Kit Siang had claimed that there was no corruption in the tunnel project and that he (Wee) was imagining things despite the fact that the state government had acknowledged that the tunnel company had paid RM22 million to two individuals in a failed attempt to stop investigations into corruption in the project.
“No one of sane mind will accept these excuses and will only raise suspicion to even greater heights that the chief minister is guilty.”
Wee and Guan Eng have been engaged in a continuous war of words on the undersea tunnel project in recent weeks.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating the project – especially the high cost of the feasibility studies (RM305 million) and the more than 22-month delay in completing it.