Cover image via TMI
PAC Chairman issues gag order on Tony Pua from speaking about 1MDB
Meanwhile, Tony Pua has asked why should he resign from PAC to debate Arul Kanda
These are the 10 questions Tony Pua has for 1MDB's Arul Kanda
Image via TMI
The 10 questions:
Recently, DAP MP Tony Pua, who is also a member of the PAC, challenged 1MDB President Arul Kanda Kandasamy to a LIVE talk show or debate on controversies surrounding the state fund
Image via TMI
In response, the 1MDB President initially said that he is willing to debate Tony Pua LIVE on TV albiet with a condition if the Petaling Jaya Utara lawmaker resigns from the Public Accounts Committee
However, on 31 October, Arul Kanda withdrew the condition and said that he will meet Pua for a "LIVE televised discussion or talk show or debate, Tony can choose which, without any conditions"
Image via Najjua Zulkefli/TMI
Before going any further, we would like to point out a major flaw in the 1MDB's President Arul's argument about calling Pua a judge
Equating Tony Pua, a member of the PAC, to that of a judge is not only wrong but also misleading the general public about his role in the committee and its general nature.
**Neither Pua nor PAC is the judge here.**
They are an investigative body appointed by the Parliament to investigate a state fund and only the Parliament will decide what to do with the PAC's findings (if any).
If Pua has to be considered anything, it should be in the line that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is more like a police force and Pua is one of the officers, and asking questions (publicly or not) is part of his job and agenda.
Moving on, Tony Pua has welcomed the move
Image via TMI
Speaking to The Malaysian Insider, Tony Pua said that he accepted Arul Kanda's declaration to debate on a LIVE platform.
"I accept (the challenge). We can do it anytime," Pua said.
In a statement later, Pua thanked the 1MDB president for the "gentlemanly acceptance of the invite without attaching any conditions", adding that he "would also like to thank the Communications and Multimedia Minister, Datuk Salleh Said Keruak for offering RTM to host the LIVE talk show even before the invite was accepted."
However, Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed, the former chairman of the PAC, thinks the LIVE debate should be called off as it would damage the PAC's integrity and credibility. He added that the taunting between 1MDB's Arul and DAP's Tony is "childish".
Image via TMI
About the debate (as we know so far)
. **It will be a LIVE talk show and NOT a debate, according to Tony Pua.**
"It should be a question-and-answer session and not a debate because I am asking the questions. There's nothing for Arul to ask me," Pua told Malaysiakini.
. **Salleh Keruak has offered Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) to broadcast it LIVE.**
Salleh, who is the Communications and Multimedia Minister, said the readiness of RTM to broadcast the debate LIVE proves the openness of his Ministry. "We can broadcast live the debate," he told Bernama in Kuala Lumpur.
. **Interestingly, Ramesh Rao has offered to act as moderator for the debate.**
According to Ramesh, he was volunteering himself as the leader of a 'non-partisan' NGO which champions the interest of the rakyat. "I will render a fair moderation to both parties for the rakyat to know the real truth about 1MDB," he said.
What's interesting here is that Ramesh, who leads the Pertubuhan Minda dan Sosial Prihatin, is best known for accusing Sarawak Report's Editor-in-Chief Clare Rewcastle Brown of fabricating allegations of misappropriation against 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and for his police report against her.
. **The date and time of the debate have not been finalised yet.**
According to Tony Pua, the details about the debate will be sorted out over the course of the following week by both parties.
