Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong has launched angry personal attacks against me over the coming public debate between us in Bahasa Malaysia to be telecast live on TV stations over his wrong cabotage policy in refusing to grant cabotage exemption for foreign ships carrying out submarine cable repairs. Wee could be angry because he did not expect me to accept his challenge to debate the link between his wrong cabotage policy and Malaysia missing out on key undersea cable infrastructure projects undertaken by both Facebook and Google as well as the loss of RM12-15 billion in digital investments.
I wish to remind Wee that personal attacks against me cannot cover up the loss of RM12-15 billion in digital investments disclosed by former Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation(MDEC) Chairman Dr Rais Hussin as a consequence of Wee reversing the cabotage exemption granted by the previous PH Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook. Wee had attacked Rais in Parliament as wrong to link his cabotage policy with the loss of these critical investments. Unfortunately, Rais resigned several days later after Wee’s attacks, with Rais stating that he refused to become a “Yes-man”!
Wee’s version does not cut any ice with the high-tech industry when international digital giants have repeatedly written to both the former and current Prime Minister to object to Wee’s stubborn refusal to grant a cabotage exemption for submarine cable repairs. Wee has continued his lies by now saying that I would not dare to debate with him even though I have accepted his challenge in Parliament.
Wee claims that I will not dare debate him because I had previously refused to debate him on the delayed Penang tunnel project, in which he claimed that payment had already been made through a land swap where a condominium was built on it with all units sold. Again, Wee is not telling the truth when the Penang government has repeatedly said that no payment or not a single cent has been paid for the Penang tunnel project. How to debate on a matter built on a lie?
Even on the current debate on the cabotage policy for submarine cable repairs, Wee had claimed that the Cabinet will make a final decision in early October. If a decision is to be made by Cabinet in early October, why can’t the debate be held on 23 October 2021? Or is Wee misleading Parliament when he said that the matter will be decided by early October?
This is just not another political debate issued angrily by Wee against me laced with toxic personal attacks. This concerns the digital future of our country. We must protect our young and the future of our young.