Great Debate in BN's favour...........

It is being billed as the 'Great Debate'. But what may begin in hype may end in caricature. Today's parliamentary session that will debate whether Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim should be cited to the Rights and Privileges Committee for misleading the House would be great only if it traffics in the weapons that make for eminence: the clash of reason and ideas. It is unlikely to do so. At least one side isn't likely to go beyond a stance of mere denial and attempt a reasoned refutation.

In mid-March, Anwar had opined in the House that the Najib Razak administration's '1Malaysia' policy was a carbon copy of the 'One Israel' policy of the government of former prime minister Ehud Barak of Israel. Had he substituted 'One Myanmar' for 'One Israel', it is doubtful Anwar's opinion would have raised more than a murmur from the government benches. Because it was 'Israel' that was the comparison, it made all the difference: that country's name has come to have the force of an epithet.

In Malaysia where Islamic rectitude is tied up closely with abomination for Israel, this comparison was dynamite. Never mind that the '1Malaysia' idea is an arresting one, even if purloined from elsewhere; an exception has to be made in respect of Israel.

Anwar's argument bolstered by RM77 mil

When challenged to substantiate his opinion, Anwar presented to the House in late March a cogent case, backed with documentary supports, that the government's strategic communications consultant, Apco Worldwide, have had ties not only to Israel but also to a host of despicable regimes. He made a reasonable case for his earlier aired opinion that Apco had inputs on 'One Israel'. His case did not rely on innuendo and insinuation.

All that brought from Apco was nothing more than plain and unsubstantiated denial. Anwar's arguments and documentary props warranted more. The government similarly disavowed any link between '1Malaysia' and 'One Israel' and went on to reveal in Parliament that Apco had been paid a sum of RM77 million over a period of year for its services.

The size of the payment retrospectively bolstered Anwar's argument about Apco's clout and reach. Case closed, one would have thought.

Not to the government's chief whip, Nazri Abdul Aziz. He countered that government MPs would attempt to cite Anwar to the privileges committee for suspension for misleading the House.

If in today's debate one side does not go beyond mere denial to provide substantiation and if that results in the opposition leader being referred, it would represent the triumph of assertion over reasoned argument, brute numbers over the force of ideas.

In that event, the ballyhooed debate would be great as caricature, not as content.- Terance Netto.

source:malaysiakini

What great debate, and you can never win in 1Malaysia parliament loaded with UMNO morons. However the gomen has already made up their mind to suspend Anwar. Remember, Najib said he knows everything about Anwar after meeting the Bayan Baru dan Kulim frogs.........





cheers.