KUALA LUMPUR: Once the national cabotage policy is finalised this month, a date will be set for a debate between Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong and Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng.

       Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun (pic) said the Transport Minister was ready for the debate and would not “run away”.

       “The minister has informed (us) that after the Cabinet finalises the national cabotage policy this month, he will arrange for a suitable date to discuss and debate on the issue with YB Bagan (Lim) on any television channel or media outlet using the national language,” Azhar told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

       Lim had suggested the debate be held on Oct 23.

       On Sept 30, Dr Wee challenged Lim to an open debate over the national cabotage policy, following a heated exchange in Parliament.

       In a Facebook post yesterday, Dr Wee, who is MCA president, said he would not run from any debate with Lim.

       “Before this, I invited him to a debate twice, but he did not dare. All sorts of excuses were used to avoid debating with me,” he said.

       Dr Wee said Lim created a “bad record” for himself when he turned down a debate on the Penang undersea tunnel project in 2018.

       “Among his excuses for not debating me then was we were not of the same level – he was the Number One (secretary-general) in DAP while I was just the Number Two (deputy president) in MCA.

       “Macam ini punya alasan pun ada...(There’s even this kind of excuse...),” Dr Wee wrote.

       In 2019, Dr Wee wanted to hold a public debate with Lim, who as the then finance minister under the Pakatan Harapan administration, dropped the matching grant for Tunku Abdul Rahman University College.

       “You want a debate? Be patient. I said in Dewan Rakyat on Sept 22 that the cabotage policy will be discussed in Cabinet this month.

       “After a decision is made, my office will contact television stations to find a date and time for the debate in Bahasa Malaysia to be aired live,” he said.

       Dr Wee also said he would propose tentative dates so that Lim could choose a suitable one.

       “I won’t announce a date unilaterally. The date and the format of the debate must be mutually agreed upon,” he said, while urging Lim to “relax”.

       Introduced in January 1980, the cabotage policy for cable repair works was revoked by the former Pakatan government in April 2019.

       The cabotage policy was reintroduced by Dr Wee on Nov 16 last year.