WHETHER former prime minister-cum-fierce Sapura Energy Bhd defender Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim are fit as a fiddle can only be determined tonight as they ‘clash head-on’ in a debate that will be telecast live by Astro Awani from the Malaysia Tourism Centre (Matic) in Kuala Lumpur at 9pm today.
At a glance, Najib seems to be the fearless one as donning a pair of boxing gloves and clad in a “Malu Apa Bossku” t-shirt, he intimidates his opponent who is six years his senior by gesturing “Ready. See you at the court.”
PKR president Anwar is probably an opponent by default as the polemic stemming from Najib’s stance that the Government should bail out of Sapura Energy after the global integrated oil & gas (O&G) outfit incurred a record breaking RM8.9 bil net loss in its financial year ended January 31, 2022 was not his doing.
The initial argument stemmed from PKR’s deputy president contender Rafizi Ramli who locked horns with Najib over the future of Sapura Energy with the former challenging the Pekan MP to a debate. This is when Najib insisted that the event should also feature PKR’s No. 1, Anwar.
In a nutshell, the Najib-Anwar debate consists of three segments, starting with whether Sapura Energy needs a bailout, followed by a debate on the future and direction of Malaysia’s economy, politics and governance.
The final session will be a question-and-answer session open to the floor.
While it is unlikely that there will be ‘a knock-out’ between both fierce rivals, Malaysians can at last look forward to a mature debate while gaining better understanding of the Sapura Energy issue. – May 12, 2022
