Monday 18 May 2015

TV3 challenged to organise Dr Mahathir - Najib debate

Veteran newsman Datuk A Kadir Jasin has challenged TV3 to organise a debate between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. 

In a sms message sent to Datuk Seri Ashraf Abdullah - Media Prima's Group Managing Editor, News and Current Affairs, TV News - and copied to Media Prima Berhad's Independent non-Executive Chairman Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar , Datuk Kadir threw the challenge after an earlier request for a right of reply to TV3's lopsided news reports were ignored.

Reproduced below is Datuk Kadir's latest message to Ashraf and Johan, which was copied to Najib's Press Secretary/Media Director Datuk Tengku Sharifuddin, and this blogger.
In his earlier sms (reproduced below) to Ashraf, which was also copied to Johan, Datuk Kadir had requested for TV3's airtime for a right of reply for Dr Mahathir, Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin and himself following a barrage of lopsided TV3 news reports quoting dubious characters.
                                      
"There was no reply to my earlier sms. As former journalists I expected some form of response from them but none came about. I requested for a right of reply to all those wild allegations they have been airing over TV3.

"In view of Dr Mahathir's latest statement that he was prepared for a debate with the Prime Minister, I sent another sms to Ashraf and Johan and this time I also copied the request to Najib's long time Press Secretary Datuk Tengku Sharifuddin. 

"TV3 may continue to ignore my earlier request and now my challenge for them to organise a live debate between Dr M and Najib but I'm quite optimistic that Tengku Sharifuddin has the wisdom to grab this opportunity for his boss," Datuk Kadir said when I spoke to him late last night.
A live TV debate between Dr Mahathir and Najib. What do you think? 

I think Datuk Kadir Jasin's suggestion is timely and a golden opportunity to settle the score. It would also be an excellent platform for Najib to convince Malaysian that he is fit to remain as Prime Minister.

If the Prime Minister and Umno president is indeed a man of substance whose image has been unfairly tarnished by critics, this is the opportunity for him to silence his critics by taking on his No1 critic on national television. Let the nation bear witness.

I'm quite certain that, himself being a seasoned journalist, Najib's Media Director would be able to convince his boss to grab this opportunity. The Media Director (if he is still empowered to provide direction to the media) should then request TV3 to organise the debate.

Any journalist worth his salt would agree that truth should come unvarnished, not via some consultant prepared text.

Would Najib dare debate 1MDB, BR1M and possibly Tabung Haji? 

I'm think Najib must also be eager to remind Dr Mahathir during the face-off about how the quota system in Umno managed to keep Dr Mahathir in power for 22 years. No?

Who Dares, Wins.


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10 comments:

Anonymous said...

COMEON TV3 SAMBUTLAH........ BE A GENTLEMAN.
INI PANGGIL KOKAK KOKAK BUAT KOMEN TENTANG TUN.
ORANG YANG TIADA JASA PADA NEGARA......
RAKYAT BOLIH NILAI BETAPA CERDIKNYA ORANG TV3.
Nah..... THIS IS THE BEST CHALLENGE FOR A TRUE STATESMAN TO GIVE HIS IDEAS ON MALAYSIA...

Anonymous said...

Finally PM broke his silence and answered criticism levelled against him in his blog.
Question No. 13 regarding his government recent purchase of a new jet. Cerita pasal jet ni dah 6 bulan lepas. Baru la ni nak jawab. Orang dah tutup dah buku pasal cerita ni.
Patut la keadaan negara jadi haru-biru dapat pemimpin yang tertinggal bas macam ni. Kalau PM dah macam tu, apa lagi menteri-menteri lain. Lain kali kalau ada isu, cepat-cepat tepis. Barulah tak timbul syak wasangka di kemudian hari.

Anonymous said...

I would love to see Najib and Tun M's debate. It should in fact be a precedent. Future PMs must do public debates with whoever dares to challenge his leadership or his policies. After all, Najib loves US and Americans love open debates between election candidates. Apa macam Najib ada berani? Or should you get Rosmah to debate with Tun M instead?

Even though I am not a fan of Opposition but I have to admit that some of them are very articulate. Everybody knows that Anwar is a good debater, boleh percaya ke tak dia punya auta tu belakang kira lah..

We should encourage more open debates between the ruling party and opposition. If we have that, maybe then we can have more competent ministers since they will be openly challenged if they introduce silly new policies.

Anonymous said...

yeah ...

Debate of the century with one condition - no personal electronic devices allowed

in case consultants provide live responses to PM thru hearing device

Anonymous said...

This suggested debate; will it be by persons who would come with open mind or pre-conceived notion, just to use the platform as a stage?

If one is already convinced that one is indubitably right, then one might probably not looking for a debate.

One is more like to look for a stage to dominate.

Anonymous said...

1:20:00 p.m

This debate will prove if the PM is really ahjibgor or the elephant in the room

oooppps ... the elephant on stage is croaking and scrambling trying to sing and dance ala Siti Nurhaliza

that is the JOKE of the century

Anonymous said...

Najib will NEVER agree to live debate with Tun M. It would be his funeral as PM!

Anonymous said...

Dear Dato AKJ,

1. Tak payah debate... Najib will not be able to defend himself especially on 1MDB issue.

2. The best approach is to hold more tdm meet people session in all states where umno prevails.

3. Get all your friends to urge umno members, those below KBUs to demand their respective heads to have najib meet grassroot supporters session. Let them have the benefit of asking him questions directly

I believe it will work, insyallah












Anonymous said...

Kamon najib....jangan malukan darah pahlawan bugis didalam badan tu.....bugis+minang pasti lagi kuatkan????

Anonymous said...

Gerakan perlu di susun dgn lebih kemas, momentun sesi bertemu rakyat, bermula di k club dan ipoh perlu diteruskan secara sistematis...jika TDM tidak dapat hadir, bole jemput Ku Li., Zaid Ibrahim, Aspan Alias, Sanusi Junid, Daim Zainudin, bekas duta duta kanan, bekas hakim hakim kanan dll..( sekadar cadangan )..