KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional strategic communications deputy director Eric See-To will only accept PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli’s challenge to debate on the national tax collection if he can get DAP publicity chief Tony Pua to debate on the Penang tunnel project.
See-To said this while reminding the Pandan MP on the debate which Rafizi had challenged him to a month ago.
He said the matter may have slipped Rafizi’s mind as he was embroiled in a very public clash with his party members.
See-To was referring to the Rafizi’s spat with fellow party member Latheefa Koya and other party members, which culminated in them calling Rafizi an “Umno agent”.
He also said that the Rafizi, who had issued the challenge in September, must be busy with his recent controversy involving Invoke, the embattled policy research centre that was founded by him, which also collected funds from the public.
“In any case, I now remind Rafizi of his debate challenge and humbly accept his challenge – despite this being the first public debate of my life – but I have one condition,” See-To said.
See-To had challenged Pua to a debate on the Penang tunnel project but thus far, he has not heard a peep from Pua.
“It will be two debates or none at all. Rafizi is also welcomed to assist Pua on the Penang tunnel debate.
“If Rafizi agrees, then I request for him to get Invoke to organise the time and place for both debates.”
See-To had said that Pua had publically defended the controversial project.
He stated that a public debate on the project was needed for the public to get answers.
“The tunnel project involves state funds totalling more than RM15 billion and has many areas of great doubt and suspicion.”
“Among others, the Penang Government had already paid more than RM220mil (for consultation reports) which was found to be 400 per cent above gazetted scale of fees.”
“It had also allowed RM3 billion of the state’s land to be pre-sold despite the fact that the construction has been delayed for many years,” See-To added.
He claimed that the DAP-led Penang government had remained silent after he raised new findings about the project and a public debate was needed to get answers.