DEBAT JEFFRY-HARRIS APAKAH AKAN MENJADI KENYATAAN?

KOTA KINABALU: Former Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Mohd Salleh is challenging Sabah State Reform Party (Star) Chairman, Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, to a debate on Sabah being colonised by Kuala Lumpur.

Since Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman has a very busy schedule, Harris said he is challenging Dr Jeffrey to the debate, instead.

"I know the Chief Minister is a very busy man and I hope Dr Jeffrey will take this offer," he said in a statement, Thursday.

Because it is very unlikely that the ruling party would accept the Star Chairman's offer, he said he was offering himself to debate with Dr Jeffrey. He said Dr Jeffrey could pick any time and place for the debate.

However, he proposed that the event be an open debate which anyone could attend.

"I also propose that Tan Sri Hamid Egoh and Tan Sri Herman Luping be the moderators for the debate," he said.

Harris said Dr Jeffrey should come prepared by listing all evidence that Kuala Lumpur is colonising Sabah.

"Also, the debate content should be confined and based on your (Dr Jeffrey) contention and evidence," he said.

He said because it was Star that initiated the debate, all expenses that incur from the event should be borne by the party. Harris said he is offering himself to debate with Dr Jeffrey instead of Musa in the interests of Sabahans.

"And, more importantly, to correct any wrong perception between the State Government and the Federal Government," he said.

Harris expressed hope that Dr Jeffrey would accept the offer as soon as possible so that he could arrange a meeting to discuss the proposed debate.

Sabah Star challenged Musa to a debate when the latter issued a statement that the "opposition is lying about the State being colonised by the Malaya-run Federal Government".

Star claimed it has all the facts, statistics and figures to prove that Sabah has been internally colonised by Putrajaya since Sept 16, 1963, when the Federation of Malaysia was formed.