KUCHING, Dec 4: State Reform Party (STAR) Sarawak president Lina Soo has fixed a date and venue for an open debate on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) with Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.
The date set is Dec 23 at Grand Continental Hotel here at 2pm and an official invitation letter has been couriered via PosLaju to the Speaker today.
Soo decided to send out the invitation as the speaker had not replied after she openly accepted the offer of debate.
Soo said she is more than qualified, academically and politically, to hold a debate with Pandikar any place at any time, even though she is from a small party.
“Pandikar has written one book on Malaysia while I have published two books on the formation of Malaysia after extensive research on British declassified documents at the British National Archives in London.
“Pandikar is a degree holder from Wolverhampton Polytechnic while I hold a Masters’ degree in Business Administration from the University of Leicester,” she told a press conference today.
Soo also reiterated that the people of Sarawak disagree with Pandikar’s view of the Malaysia Agreement 2.7 million times.
She said it is unbecoming of Pandikar and not his place to challenge Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to a debate as the status of the Chief Minister of Sarawak is equal to the status of the Prime Minister of the Federation of Malaya.
The government of Sarawak signed the Malaysia Agreement with the government of the Federation of Malaya as one entity and as an equal component to the nation. Sarawak did not sign any agreement with Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Penang, Perak, Perlis and Terengganu as equal states.
“I am accepting Pandikar’s open offer to a debate on MA63 ‘any place, any time’ as the elected president of a legitimate political party, while he is a member of a political party who does not hold any elected position. His position as Speaker depends upon the whim and fancy of the Prime Minister,” Soo said.
The letter Soo sent to Pandikar is reproduced below:
H.E. Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Pandikar Amin bin Haji Mulia
Parliament of Malaysia
Parliament Building
50680 Kuala Lumpur
Dear Tan Sri
Further to our acceptance of your offer to debate on Malaysia Agreement 1963 communicated to you by our letter dated 29th November 2017.
Tan Sri, our acceptance of your open challenge to members of the public to a debate ‘any place any time’ extensively broadcasted in the print media, online news portals and social media, and which thereafter is duly executed on our part with our letter of 29th November by Poslaju and reported in the print media and Facebook, constitutes a contractual relationship of ‘offer and acceptance’ which can only be fulfilled by performance.
We are the first party to accept your offer, and we reiterate our acceptance is not withdrawn, nor can it be deflected and indeed it is not transferable.
As a reasonable period of time has lapsed since our communication via our letter, and you have failed to respond with a date and place, we are now at liberty to inform of place and time based upon your ‘any place any time’ term and condition at the time of offer.
Tan Sri, we are pleased to provide the following details for you to perform and fulfil your obligation as follows:
Date: 23 December 2017, Saturday
Time: 2.00pm
Place: Orkid Norma 2, Level 1
Grand Continental Hotel Kuching
Jalan Ban Hock
Kuching
We wish to quote Tan Sri, ‘I shall be there. Pandikar never run away from any worthy battle for the good of the nation.’
In return, we quote ‘A Gentleman’s Word Is As Good As His Bond’ by Charles Dickens in his book The Old Curiosity Shop, (1840-1841).
That is to say, a gentleman will carry out his words with action.
Tan Sri, we eagerly look forward to meeting you on the 23rd December with great anticipation, and warmly welcome you to Sarawak!
Yours faithfully
Lina Soo
Party President
— DayakDaily
