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By Wong Choon Mei, Suara Keadilan
Prime Minister Najib Razak has again shied away from an invitation to open debate with PAS spiritual adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat, re-igniting talk that he was fearful of a face-to-face confrontation with the 78-year religious scholar.
“I have said a debate is no use and everybody else thinks so too,” Najib told reporters on Monday. “If we are to meet, then we should not lash out at each. But we have done that and once that has happened, we cannot have any conducive environment for a meeting.” Nik Aziz, the senior-most leader in PAS, had issued the debate invitation after Najib criticised him for rejecting an offer for “unity talks” with the ostensible aim of hammering out a Malay power pact between Umno and PAS. An Umno Youth leader even went to the extent of lodging a police report against Nik Aziz for sedition. The PAS leader, who is also the Kelantan Menteri Besar, had not minced his words at a recent ceramah, harshly criticising Umno for trying to break up his party and thereby its Pakatan Rakyat coalition with PKR and DAP. Nik Aziz reiterates no unity talks Over the weekend, Nik Aziz again issued the invitation. “I just want to ask two things – why reject Islam and embrace nationalism, and what is wrong with the policy implemented by PAS, especially in Kelantan,” he said. Despite relentless efforts from Najib’s supporters to drive a wedge amongst PAS members, Nik Aziz has stuck to his guns, refusing to form any political pact with Umno. The Pakatan and Umno-BN are currently locked in a by-election tussle for the Manik Urai state seat in Kelantan, which fell vacant after the incumbent died in May. The hot topic of unity talks is likely to dominate campaigning over the next eight days until polling on July 14 . Najib’s repeated refusals to face off against Nik Aziz and to clarify his intentions is also likely to be scrutinised by the constituents. “The unity talks proposal is dead. We are united in Pakatan Rakyat. If Umno returns to the true teachings of Islam, everything will be fine,” the MB told reporters at the Manik Urai nomination centre earlier in the day.
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Who is this "everybody else" ? I never thing so! Debate is good practice, it's will lead people to a better understanding about the debated issue. Don't be coward, be a real man.