Debate Between Races Won’t Bring Any Benefit

PUTRAJAYA – Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said debates between the races will not bring any benefit because each race will continue to hold on to their own stand.

“Even if we have it (debate between the races), there will not be any impact. It will make the situation worse, each race will hold on to their own stand,” he said.

He said this when approached after attending a closed-door meeting with the right-wing group, Perkasa, at the Perdana Leadership Foundation, here this afternoon.

Mahathir said his meeting with Perkasa today was to discuss various issues pertaining to the Malay race, besides presenting various problems being faced by the community including factionalism.

Meanwhile, responding to a question, Mahathir said there was no need to hold a debate (involving the Prime Minister) with the opposition head, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Anwar’s stand on many issues was already known to all.

“He is everything to everybody, he is a chameleon, he changes colour every time. When he is with the Indian he is Indian, when he is with Muslims he will give talks about Islam. All they are fighting for is to make him a Prime Minister that’s all,” he said.

Meanwhile, Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali said the party’s legal bureau was studying the possibility of suing Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for defamation for his statements during his debate with MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

“During the debate, he (Lim) had mentioned about Perkasa having a relationship with the MCA and that purportedly Perkasa would create chaos.

“So we are looking at his video (debate) many, many times and I instructed the Perkasa lawyers to study from the legal aspect to sue Lim Guan Eng because we cannot allow him to continue making the allegations,” he said.

He said Lim’s allegations were baseless because Perkasa had never held any illegal assembly.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim said he was now prepared to debate with Lim and the subject of the debate would be “Who is more racist, DAP or Perkasa” and “Who is more trouble maker Perkasa or DAP” and let the people judge. – BERNAMA