• Oil debate: Anwar Ibrahim (1) vs Shabery Cheek (0)

Did Information Minister Shabery Cheek said he would resign if he failed to defend the Government’s fuel policy? I missed that quote but if that’s indeed the case, he might as well pack up and call the cab.

In all my years of writing essays and oratory tests in school, god knows how many times I’ve strayed from a topic having misinterpreted the questions I have faced. But I’ve never done half as bad as Shabery Cheek in last night’s debate against Anwar. Some questions were so straightforward, clear and precise. And yet Shabery had the cheek to veer totally off-topic in his attempt to avoid answering them at all. Why? UMNO has absolutely no valid facts and figures to back their claims. A debate against Anwar Ibrahim is the last thing on their mind right now, that is why we they sent Shabery Cheek to be slaughtered alive last night. So instead he did what UMNO does best and did it quite well considering he used nearly half the allocated debate time to:

• resort to personal attacks against Anwar Ibrahim leadership and character. Past, present and future.
• self-glorifying and crediting UMNO and past PMs for today’s Petronas achievements
• presenting twisted, irrelevant and illogical economic arguments and facts
• justifying that rakyat should suffer expensive oil for the nation

Despite the low blows by Shabery Cheek, Anwar Ibrahim did not budge. He stood firm and remained true to the topic of debate which is oil. For someone who might end up being in jail today or tomorrow, I commend him for that.

Frankly to me, whether Anwar Ibrahim is playing to populist politics, it doesn’t really matter anymore in today’s dire economic situation. Whoever wins this debate doesn’t matter to me. What it really boils down to is that the majority of right thinking Malaysians understand and foresee where our country is heading towards under the leadership of UMNO. It won’t be somewhere pretty and the ones that suffer the full brunt of UMNO’s mismanagement will be our children.

Clearly, the country is not doing well if inflation number is but one leading indicator of distress. UMNO wants us turn a blind eye towards this fact. UMNO continues to pretend all is well when it is clearly not. Rakyat’s plight? There is clearly something wrong with Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s big ears to not able to hear a wailing and crying nation.

May I ask you then, between a Barisan Nasional government who doesn’t even acknowledge and help an ailing Malaysia and a Pakatan Rakyat government who promises to reduce fuel prices, erradicate corruption, put in measures to ensure corruption remains in check, reform the judiciary and more … is this choice really that difficult?

Sure, I grant you, Anwar Ibrahim may have thrown around big words and big promises in last night’s debate. Behind the veil of a very charismatic debater that he is, it is still not clear what roadmap or steps his party has to rejuvenate the country and its economy but unlike UMNO, at least Pakatan Rakyat acknowledge there is a problem to be tackled. They deserve to be given a chance to have a go at federal government and prove to the nation they ain’t just NATO (No action talk only).

PS. Did you see how Shabery Cheek foaming at his mouth towards the end of the debate? ROTFL! … Sampai berbuih mulut berdebat … hahaha!