Speaking to FMT, the Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI) said the timing of the proposed debate was way off as he had “a lot of engagements to attend” prior to the tabling of the controversial trade agreement in Parliament next week.

“I don’t have the time to do it (the debate). The agreement is to be tabled soon and it (the debate) is too rushed.”

Santiago in a press conference yesterday had challenged Mustapa to an open debate next Monday, a day before the agreement is to be debated in Parliament.

The lawmaker said there were still many questions about the TPPA left unanswered and felt that the best medium for Mustapa to answer them would be in a public debate.

“The briefings that MITI have been conducting, though appreciated, do not do justice to an agreement of this size,” he said. “At this point, the answers are coming straight from the government and we have to break that monotony.”

Santiago, when asked about the platform for the debate, suggested that it be conducted at Mustapa’s ministry or hosted by FMT.

In an immediate response to the suggestion, FMT CEO Shahrom Shahrudin said the company would be honoured to host the debate.

The latest development however, was one that he regretted to hear.

“It is unfortunate that the nation would miss the opportunity to see two intelligent minds debate an issue of national interest. However, should the situation change, we would be happy to accommodate it.”