Terjemahan penting sahaja sambil tokok tambah komen:

Debat yang menggugat Ketua Pemuda UMNO

Hishamuddin mengatakan beliau mungkin kehilangan jawatan kabinetnya jika beliau gagal menonjol dalam debat dengan PAS, namun beliau menganggap debat itu sebagai hal peribadi

KL - Ketua Pemuda UMNO, Datuk Hishamuddin Tun Hussein terpaksa membayar harga yang terlalu mahal jika beliau gagal menampilkan kecermerlangan dalam debat Hak Melayu dengan Mahfuz Omar, Ketua Pemuda PAS.

Sekurang2nya itulah pandangan beliau.

Beberapa exco pemuda berpendapat beliau sirius dan bukan bergurau lagi.

Pihak yang menyetujui debat ini berpendapat adalah perlu bagi pemuda umno mematahkan hujah PAS dengan fakta dan huraian logik. Namun demikian jika umno tidak menyahut cabaran itu ia akan memberikan kemenangan percuma kepada PAS kerana masyarakat akan membuat taksiran umno sebenarnya tidak berdiri dengan sempurna. Umno hanya berpura-pura jaguh tetapi pengecut belaka sebenarnya.

Bagi PAS inilah peluang untuk menyatakan pandangan secara terbuka kerana amat sukar mendapat liputan dalam media akhbar yang sering menindas mereka.

Menurut The Sunday Times tajuk debat tersebut tidak akan membuka ruang besar terhadap topik Hak Melayu, tetapi ia lebih merupakan satu perbincangan yang lebih sempit.

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/mal5_1022.html

Oct 22, 2000

Debate stakes high for Umno Youth chief

Hishamuddin says he may lose his Cabinet position if he performs poorly against his PAS counterpart but says the fight is a personal matter

NEWS ANALYSIS

BY BRENDAN PEREIRA
MALAYSIA CORRESPONDENT

KUALA LUMPUR -- Umno Youth chief Datuk Hishamuddin Tun Hussein may have to pay a high price if he performs dismally at next month's debate on Malay rights against Mr Mahfuz Omar, the PAS Youth leader.

At least, that is his view.

Malaysia's fastest rising political star told members of the youth wing's executive committee on Thursday that he appreciates that stakes are high, adding that he could end up losing his Cabinet position.

Several exco members told The Sunday Times that the Sports and Youth Minister was not indulging in loose talk. He was dead serious.

It is understood that the young leader also made it clear that his debate with his counterpart from PAS was a personal matter, and should not be viewed as a proxy fight between the two Malay-based parties.

This position is directly in contrast to the public perception of the contest.

Said an Umno Youth exco member: ""As a leader, he is trying to be responsible. Making clear that he will not make excuses for a poor show or blame anybody.

""This is one on one against Mahfuz who has challenged him to a debate. If he does badly, it should only be a reflection of his capabilities.''

Datuk Hishamuddin told his exco members that he was confident that he would do well in the face off.

His comments provide an insight into the build-up of pressure in the run-up to Malaysia's first public political debate.

Since he agreed to the debate, two schools of thought have developed in Umno over the value of a debate.

The conventional and perhaps the majority view is that the young politician and the ruling party have nothing to gain from a talk fest with a political adversary.

Proponents of this view argue that by agreeing to a debate, Datuk Hishamuddin is giving Mr Mahfuz a national platform to make unsubstantiated allegations against national leaders.

They also point that it will give the Islamic fundamentalist party the legitimacy as the champion of Malay rights they are craving for.

Those who support the debate argue that it is necessary to cut down PAS politicians in public with facts and logical arguments.

Shying away from a contest will only reinforce the perception among segments of the population that the ruling party's record cannot stand up to scrutiny.

Sources told The Sunday Times that Mr Mahfuz is also feeling the pressure.

According to conventional wisdom, he has nothing to lose.

All he has to do is show up at the debate and he will be a winner.

But he is known as the president's man and a poor showing on the stage will not only be a blot on his political ambitions but also be an embarrassment to Datuk Fadzil Noor, the leader of PAS.

Party leaders have also passed down the message that a good show will be a morale booster for party members and a good advertisement for the Islamic party that it has the ideas and leaders to govern Malaysia.

The Sunday Times also understands the debate topic will not be as open-ended as Malay rights but will be more narrowly defined.