Bkt Bintang candidates to debate

KUALA LUMPUR: The much-anticipated debate between the two candidates in Bukit Bintang is imminent. Barisan Nasional's Datuk Dr Lee Chong Meng suggested the debate be held at the Chinese Assembly Hall here this week, but urged his DAP opponent Fong Kui Lun to confine the debate to issues pertaining only to the constituency.

Dr Lee said that before the dissolution of Parliament on Feb 13, he had invited Fong to an open debate on issues raised by the Opposition, adding that the latter had accepted but suggested having five speakers on each side.

"Let's debate one-to-one, I don't think I want to bring in MCA candidates standing for other constituencies as they will be very busy too," said Dr Lee after a walkabout on Tuesday at the Bukit Bintang market in Imbi. In front of the press, he rang up former president of Kuala Lumpur Assembly Hall Datuk Liew Poon Siak and invited him to be the arbitrator. Liew accepted the invitation. "Datuk Liew will carry out the debate without bias. He has held many positions in the Chinese guilds and associations. Although he is an MCA member, he is not active," he said. Dr Lee added that the debate should be conducted in three languages and requested his opponent fax over the issues to be raised so that the debate would not touch on irrelevant matters. He said the hall had a capacity of 1,000 people and the debaters would be expected to answer to questions fielded by members of the public. He said if the debate could proceed, it would be the first in the history of Bukit Bintang.

--THE STAR