(Oct 29): DAP lawmaker Tony Pua said 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) president Arul Kanda Kandasamy should stop making stupid conditions and accept his challenge to a live debate on the state-owned investor like a man.

Pua said his being a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) did not pose any conflict of interest as he was free to pursue matters of public interest outside the PAC.

“I can question him in a PAC setting, I can also put questions to him face to face. I don’t see it as a conflict of interest,” he said.

Arul’s reply, Pua added, was just another excuse to avoid answering questions on 1MDB.

“He passed up the opportunity to shame me in front of millions of Malaysians.”

He said that Arul Kanda should accept the challenge like a man.

“I promise I will not punch him. I will be very civil and polite. He will have the chance to explain.”

Replying to 1MDB’s previous statements that he was recycling questions, Pua said he had no choice since they were never answered.

“Yes, it was recycled questions. Only because 1MDB never gave explanation and answers to them.”

Arul Kanda in a statement today said Pua has to quit PAC to preserve the integrity of the bipartisan committee investigating the debt-ridden fund and to avoid conflict of interest.

“YB Tony Pua has challenged me this morning to a ‘live talk show’ with him. I hereby accept his challenge and look forward to answering his questions,” the 1MDB chief said in a statement.

He said he hoped the DAP MP, with whom he has had a series of public exchanges, would do the right thing so that they could discuss issues on 1MDB on live television.

“Despite his efforts to do so, Tony Pua cannot be judge, jury and executioner. As such, I trust he will have the courage to do the right thing and resign from the PAC in order for us to have, in his words, a ‘no-holds barred’ discussion on live television.” – The Malaysian Insider