Wee Ka Siong continues to hurl personal attacks against me on his challenge to me to debate on his cabotage policy that led to Apricot’s 12,000 km submarine cable project launched by both Google and Facebook to bypass Malaysia. Wee does not understand what is a meme that was posted in my facebook as a short chronology of the events leading to his debate challenge.
Wee had claimed, “There is no need for Lim to create stories that a WhatsApp group was set up with him, (Speaker Datuk) Azhar (Azizan Harun) and me. Why would I want to create this WhatsApp group? Don’t I have other work to do?” he said.
Wee accused me of not telling the truth even though it was clearly stated as a meme. Since Wee is so ignorant about meme in social media, let me refresh his memory by using a traditional chronology as follow:-
30 Sep
WKS challenged LGE to a debate in Parliament over his cabotage policy on submarine cables leading to Malaysia being bypassed by the 12,000km Apricot project as well as risking RM12 billion to RM15 billion in high tech investment. LGE had accepted immediately asking Wee to set the date.
After Wee had said in Parliament that Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) Chairman Dr Rais Hussin was wrong to state that Wee’s cabotage policy had led to the loss of the Apricot project and risking RM12-15 billion in investments, Rais had tweeted “Minister with an IQ level of cabbage should not be talking about the cabotage policy”.
5 Oct
LGE had complained in Parliament: “Though I accepted the challenge from Wee for a debate immediately, until now 5 days later, there has been no follow-up. Is the transport minister making an empty challenge? I didn’t make the challenge, he did. But until now there has been no update. I want to know when the debate on the cabotage policy will be held,” he said.
LGE then proposed 23 October 2021 as the debate date and proposed that Wee’s office liaise with his on the debate details and logistics.
5 Oct
WKS posted in his facebook that he is prepared to debate the cabotage policy once the Cabinet finalises this by early October. Wee said once a collective decision had been made by Putrajaya, he would explain the matter through the media at a “suitable date”.
6 Oct
Datuk Dr Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff has resigned as chairman of the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) stating he refused to be a “Yes man”.
7 Oct
Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun said to LGE, “WKS said he is ready and will not run away. He said after the cabinet has finalised the cabotage policy by this month, he will arrange a suitable date to discuss and examine the issue with you on any TV channels or media network in the national language.”
8 Oct
LGE questioned WKS’ refusal to set a date for their debate over the cabotage policy. WKS had said that the Cabinet will make a final decision early this month, so LGE asked why WKS could not set the debate date for October 23.
10 Oct
WKS said, Budget 2022 must take priority and the debate with LGE over the national cabotage policy can be held after that. WKS said, “I’m suggesting Oct 30 or 31, but I will leave him to decide when he is free. The important thing is that we can debate the matter professionally.”
17 Oct
“TV3 producers have also contacted my office and suggested Nov 2. I immediately told them ‘Ok!’,” WKS said in a Facebook post Sunday. However Wee’s office never contacted my office on the debate details and logistics.
18 Oct
LGE said, “Don’t use the budget as an excuse. In fact, this issue should be resolved before the budget is tabled because it involves the future of the nation’s digital economy and billions in high-technology investments. If he can go to London, can’t he spend one hour to debate with me?” he asked, questioning why the minister was on a working trip to the UK if he really wanted to focus on the 2022 Budget.”
Is The 10-Day Delay Due To Wee Trying To Change Aspects Of His Cabotage Policy And Can Najib Help Wee To Convince The Tech Giants To Return To Malaysia?
Clearly, Wee’s silence on a definite date caused me to propose 23 October as the debate date on 5 October. Wee only suggested 2 November as the debate date on 17 October. At no time did Wee’s office contact mine handled by DAP Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching. Wee has now got a heavyweight in former Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to come to his aid.
On the one hand Najib questions why I cannot wait 10 days for the debate to be held on November 2 instead of insisting on 23 October. On the other hand, Najib tries to mock me by predicting that I would not dare to debate Wee. Whilst I do not wish to exchange insults with Najib, one wonders whether the 10 days delay is due to Wee trying to change aspects of his cabotage policy?
Malaysian cabotage law covers submarine cable deployment and repair, which means when the best ship available for a cable repair is a foreign ship, a Domestic Shipping Licence Exemption (DSLE) is required. Before this can be issued, local ship owners are asked for their consent through the Malaysia Ship Owners Association (Masa). In fact, shipowners who think they can handle the repair job can block the issuance of the DSLE. This is the main contention by tech giants and industry players that the foreign repair vessels require consent from their local competitors for up to 3 days to get a DSLE.
Will this requirement where local ship owners are asked for their consent through MASA and blocking the issuance of the DSLE to foreign repair ships be modified, changed or dropped altogether?
On 1st September 2021, tech giants Amazon Web Services(AWS), Facebook, Google and Microsoft together with Malaysia Internet Exchange(MyIX) which is under KKMM, had written to the Prime Minister to reverse Wee’s wrong policy and seek a cabotage exemption for submarine cable repairs. Wee had denied that the Apricot decision to bypass Malaysia was due to Wee’s refusal to grant a cabotage exemption for foreign ships carrying out submarine cable repairs.
Perhaps Najib can now assist Wee to get back the Apricot project and convince Amazon Web Services(AWS), Facebook, Google and Microsoft to return to Malaysia to deploy submarine cables.