ECONOMY Minister Rafizi Ramli has issued an open challenge for critics to face him on a podcast and “roast” him.
The challenge came swift on the heels of a previous challenge to a pro-Perikatan Nasional (PN) influencer which was not accepted.
The influencer, who goes by the moniker YB Viral on X (formerly known as Twitter) had declined Rafizi’s invitation to appear on the podcast last Friday (Dec 15), claiming that the original debate challenge had been changed to a question-and-answer (Q&A) session.
Rafizi, in response to YB Viral’s claims, had rubbished the attempt to distinguish between a debate and a Q&A session.
“Everyone knows a podcast is just a platform. A debate can take place on any platform, in a hall, TV, radio or an internet podcast. A debate means to showdown – not screaming insults at a mirror,” the Pandan MP said in a post on X today (Dec 19).
“Before being pinched, they like to question everything. If it was based on facts and real perspectives, I can accept that.
“But their questioning is based on insults, shouting, and emotions – because they don’t understand economic issues. When they are pinched, they go helter-skelter and expose their true characters as those who would throw stones and then hide their hands.”
According to Rafizi, that is his purpose of starting the Yang Bakar Menteri (YBM) podcast – to show the true colours of the pro-opposition social media personalities.
Rafizi said the opportunity to face him on the podcast (which is recorded in the evening) is intended to give anyone the opportunity to do so without using allocations, because the appearance on television uses rakyat money for airtime.
With YB Viral rejecting Rafizi’s invitation, Rafizi said he is now opening opportunities to anyone who wants to face him, be it an academic, a government supporter or regular citizen.
“Aside from those who volunteer to come forward for the chance to ‘roast’ the minister, I will be on the lookout for pro-opposition social media personalities who make fact-less arguments to come forward.
“I will find them, invite them and allow them an opportunity to face me. They will have an opportunity to ‘roast’ me, and I will have an opportunity to ‘roast’ them,” he said, adding it was better than throwing insults online.
“YBM podcast’s first victim (YB Viral) is already roasted, so he let him feel the heat while screaming in front of the mirror all by his lonesome,” the PKR deputy president added.
The first episode of the YBM podcast, titled “Yang Bakar Menteri” is slated for Jan 8 next year. – Dec 19, 2023
Main pic credit: XKLUSIF
