Five Federal Territory Parti Keadilan Rakyat leaders have condemned a vernacular news report which speculated that businessman S Nallakarupan, a close associate of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, will join the party 'to lead' the Indian community.

Led by Kepong PKR deputy chief S Manikavasagam, the group today said that the party does not recognise the separation of members into various ethnic component groups within the party.

"I would like to make it clear that we flatly deny the published statement because in PKR there are no leaders for any particular ethnic group," said Manikavasagam, who is also PKR youth vice-chief.

He adds that Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Ismail was the sole leader for party members of all ethnic groups.

"Only she and she alone has the authority to elect a party member to hold positions within the party with support from PKR members," said Manikavasagam during a press conference at the party headquarters in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.

Claim denied

The front page article in question was published by Tamil daily Malaysia Nanban on July 2, together with a photograph of PKR advisor Anwar shaking hands with Nallakarupan.

The article with the heading, 'PKR Indian section: Will Nallakarupan takeover?', speculated that Nallakarupan, a former MIC deputy youth chief, would be roped in by Anwar to 'inject new blood' into the party.

Segambut PKR branch chief S Maniselvam stressed that their clarification today was necessary to avoid the misinterpretation by the masses that PKR was a race-based party similar to the Barisan Nasional's component parties.

"Race-based politics will destroy the foundations of the party," he said.

Other PKR leaders present at the press conference were Kepong division chief A Ganesan, Bukit Bintang division deputy chief S Puspalinggam and Gombak deputy chief Syed Harun.

When contacted, a close aide of Nallakurapan said that the latter had yet to decide on whether to join the party.

Key figure in Anwar's trials

Nallakurapan, who was Anwar's tennis partner, was a key figure in the alleged conspiracy against the former deputy prime minister.

He was arrested under the Internal Security Act in July 1998 for unlawful possession of ammunition, two months before Anwar was sacked from his post.

During Anwar's corruption trial, defence counsel Zainur Zakaria had filed an affidavit in court accusing the prosecution of going out of its way to pressure Nallakarupan into giving information against Anwar.

According to the statutory statement submitted by Nallakarupan's lawyer, Manjeet Singh Dillon, the prosecutors offered to reduce the charge against Nallakarupan if the businessman would testify falsely against Anwar.

The charge against Nallakarupan was later amended to a reduced charge under the Arms Act, which carries a maximum seven-year sentence, instead of the death penalty.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three and a half years jail, but was released when he won his appeal in August 1999.