Bring on the MB, Chua insists

Monday September 3, 2012

LABIS: Datuk Chua Tee Yong has reiterated that he wants to debate only with Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim on the controversial RM1bil in deals involving Talam Corporation Bhd.

The MCA Young Professionals Bureau chairman said he wanted to debate only with Khalid as he was the person who knew from “A to Z” on the Talam debt restructuring deal.

He said this in response to the invitation by DAP's PJ Utara MP Tony Pua to a one-to-one debate on Talam here this Sunday.

Banners have been hung up in Labis town recently proclaiming that Pua would be in Labis to debate with Chua at Yong Hock Kiong temple.

Chua said his challenge to Khalid for the debate remained open.

“I'm still waiting for the mentri besar, who is the head of the state, who knows the Talam debt restructuring deal to debate with me.

“I'm only keen to debate with him (Khalid) as he has all the information on Talam,” he told reporters after attending a meet-the-people session and health examination camp organised by the Labis district council at Taman Sri Emas here yesterday.

Chua said Khalid's political secretary Faekah Husin admitted that Pua would have to meet the mentri besar to obtain information on Talam-gate.

“So, who knows the deal better? Who is Tony Pua if I'm willing to challenge the mentri besar for debate?” Chua said.

“As far as the DAP is concerned, they act as if they know everything but they always give conflicting statements among each other,” he added.

DAP's tactics were “very standard” to blame the previous government, divert attention from the issue, give partial information or conflicting statements as well as to make personal attack, Chua said.

Chua, in recent months, had raised various questions pertaining to the exercise, which he said was to recover RM392mil in debts from Talam but instead had ended in deals worth more than RM1bil.

The state government is said to have acquired land worth RM392mil and bought additional assets for RM248mil from Talam, bringing the total acquisition to RM676mil.

The RM676mil is part of the RM1bil in controversial deals.