PETALING JAYA, Dec 3: Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia has taken a jibe at Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg for dismissing the former’s call to a debate over Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) as ‘paloi’ (stupid), reported Free Malaysia Today yesterday.
In a statement, Pandikar had said he was disappointed that there were leaders who considered themselves so elitist that they could not debate with ‘budak-budak paloi’ (stupid juveniles).
“The kids who are deemed to be so stupid are in reality held in high esteem by those who are more powerful than the person who considers himself to be elite,” he said.
“I want to ask this elite leader. Is the individual who entrusts this stupid person also being stupid?” he added.
Yesterday DayakDaily reported that during the opening of the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Kuching Zone Delegates’ Meeting in Kuching, Abang Johari said only a fool would resort to an argument or debate, which could end up dooming the negotiations for failure.
“Not like a certain person (who thinks the Malaysia Agreement 1963 did not matter). That is up to him if he wants his rights back or not, but we Sarawak if we can negotiate, we negotiate peacefully.
“Why does this person want to interfere? I will not entertain his debate challenge. So childish. A fool (paloi),”
Abang Johari, who is PBB)president, said. Although he did not mention any names, it is understood he was talking about Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.
On Nov 27, Pandikar Amin posed a debate challenge to Abang Johari after both had conflicting opinions on the importance of MA63. Pandikar Amin said the agreement was not important while Abang Johari begged to differ.
Following that, Pandikar Amin drew a lot of flak particularly from Sarawak’s BN component parties including Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and PBB.
Meanwhile, the Free Malaysia Today report said the controversy over the matter was sparked when Pandikar, a native of Sabah, had said on Nov 27 that there was no reason to claim Sabah and Sarawak had equal status with Malaya.
Instead, he said, all states were equal in Malaysia.
He also said he would gladly debate the issue outside of Parliament.
He blamed “irresponsible voices out there” for saying that the rights of Sabahans and Sarawakians had been taken away. — DayakDaily
