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Who rained on you? Najib says in jibe affter Kit Siang calls off their debate

Yesterday, Lim Kit Siang announced that he was withdrawing from debating Datuk Seri Najib Razak publicly after receiving advice from a number of Malay bloggers and academics. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
Yesterday, Lim Kit Siang announced that he was withdrawing from debating Datuk Seri Najib Razak publicly after receiving advice from a number of Malay bloggers and academics. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is having a field day trolling DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang for backing out of their public debate two days after agreeing to it.

The Pekan MP wrote a series of sarcasm-laden posts on his Facebook page, attaching news reports on the Pakatan Harapan (PH) leader’s decision to call off their debate planned for after Hari Raya Aidilfitri next month for fear of stirring racial and religious unrest.

“Laaa who rained on Kit Siang? Was it rain or what?” Najib asked mockingly in response to Lim’s reported reason that he had been “flooded” by advice from the public not to engage with the ex-PM over over fears it could be turned into a “Malay versus Chinese” conflict.

In another post, Najib mocked the extended reasons given by Lim for the cancellation, claiming they were “lengthy”.

“It is even longer than his son's invisible tunnel. How many hours did Kit Siang spend to come up and write these excuses?” he asked, in a swipe at the proposed Penang Undersea Tunnel initiated by the Lim’s son and current Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng when the latter was chief minister.

The 7.2km project aimed to provide a third connection between Penang’s island half and the mainland, alleviating the land-strapped state’s traffic woes.

Najib made fun of the senior Lim’s decision to cancel, pointing out that the Iskandar Puteri MP had agreed to the debate and even proposed the title for debate.

“Agreeing to debate was Kit Siang, giving the topic of the debate was Kit Siang. Withdrawing was also Kit Siang, then he says he is not a coward,” Najib said.

In an earlier post, Najib claimed to have received information that some DAP leaders were not in favour of Lim taking him on publicly as their adviser may lose, asserting this to be the real reason for the cancellation.

“Already we can see steps being taken to cancel it. They have expressed their worry that Kit Siang may lose out in the debate.

“Some are also worried I will present hard facts for Kit Siang to counter, and much PH propaganda will prove it as lies and slander.”

Najib then mockingly said PH should put their full trust and confidence in Lim as the latter had helmed the DAP for 50 years.

“PH should know that no one is forced to watch the debate, and that it would not use any of the rakyat's money.

“In the spirit of democracy and transparency, let the debate take place with the subject proposed by DAP and agreed upon by myself,” Najib said.

Yesterday, Lim announced that he was withdrawing from debating Najib publicly after receiving advice from a number of Malay bloggers and academics that the former Barisan Nasional chief would most certainly use the opportunity to play up racial and religious sentiments, framing it as a conflict between Umno and DAP.

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