DAP banners poke fun at Tee Yong over Talam debate

DAP banners are being circulated in cyberspace, imploring MCA central committee member Chua Tee Yong to educate Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua on the Talam Corporation controversy.

This comes ahead of back-to-back forums to be organised by the DAP over the next two days to discuss the company's debt restructuring exercise with the Selangor government.

One banner shows a blackboard, with a stern Chua holding a cane on one side. On the other side sits a child-sized Pua wearing a pointed hat and a mischievous smile. The words on the blackboard read: ‘Please come to teach Tony Pua: 2-1=3'.

Another banner shows two podiums, one with the DAP logo and another with the MCA logo. On the DAP's side, a smiling Pua is shown standing.

On the MCA's side, there are only black feathers fluttering to the ground, with words reading ‘Datuk Chua Tee Yong, don't run away’.

Another has a news report headlined ‘Pua not fit to debate’. In it, Chua chastises Pua for not knowing how to read a financial statement. The words ‘Datuk Chua, we will wait for you’ appear on the banner.

While Chua is being challenged to attend the forums, he has made it clear that he will not debate Pua since this will not solve the controversy.

He has instead called on the DAP to help the Selangor government complete its long overdue White Paper on the matter.

Chua has alleged that the Selangor government had spent RM260 million to bail out construction company Talam, now known as Trinity Corporation, in a deal that he has claimed was worth RM1 billion.

When contacted, Pua said he hopes Chua will attend the forum to enlighten him on how he arrived at RM1 billion.

"I wouldn't dare say that he will not turn up, but I do hope that he can come so that he can teach us how he got the RM1 billion figure," he said.

Several attempts to contact Chua to confirm his participation have been unsuccessful since Saturday.

'Willing to hold it on MCA turf'

Pua and Chua have engaged in a tit-for-tat over Talam since July 3.

Asked if the forums could be skewed and therefore a turn-off to Chua, Pua replied: "We have already said that they (MCA) can organise it. We are even willing to do it at the MCA headquarters.”

He added that the forums are aimed at clearing the air on Talam and that these will continue with or without Chua's presence.

The first will be held tomorrow at 7.30pm at the KL-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, and will be conducted in Chinese. Selangor DAP chief Teresa Kok and Pua will be the speakers.

The second, in Bahasa Malaysia and English, will be held at the multipurpose hall at Jalan SS15/4 in Subang Jaya on Wednesday. The speakers are Hannah Yeoh, Pua and PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli.