Fledgling Indian-based party MIUP said they are ready for a debate with rival party PKR about issues concerning the Indian community.

Newly formed Indian-based Malaysian Indian United Party (MIUP) said they would gladly accept rival Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) challenge to debate on issues concerning the Indian Malaysian community.

“Don’t awaken the sleeping tiger. If KS Nallakarupan (MIUP’s president) is to debate on the issues of the Indian community, be sure that PKR will be defeated,” said the party’s vice-president R Jagathisvaran at a press conference held Nallakarupan’s house at the exclusive residential area of Bukit Tunku in Kuala Lumpur today.

The statement was made following an ongoing war of words between the MIUP president and PKR leaders since last week, both accusing each other of sly political maneuvering to rake in the votes from the Indian Malaysian community.

Jagathisvaran said that MIUP had ‘a team of more than capable people’ and is prepared to confront PKR and debate on the positions of Indian Malaysians in this country.

MIUP Deputy President S Arumugam, who was present at the press conference, said his president could issue a ‘list of sacrifices’ that he (Nallakarupan) had made in the name of the Indian Malaysian community during his tenure as MIC Deputy Youth Chief.

“Can S Manickavasagam of PKR, the person whom demanded that my president come up with a list of sacrifices that he has made for the Indian Malaysian community, do the same?” asked Arumugam.

“He (Manickavasigam) is merely a supreme council member of PKR. He has no credentials whatsoever to mount that kind of challenge against MIUP’s president,” said Arumugam.

Political ambitions

Jagathisvaran, however, said the MIUP leadership would only answer calls for a debate if PKR President Wan Azizah Ismail and her husband, party advisor Anwar Ibrahim, themselves issued a the challenge.

As for the accusation by PKR leaders that Nallakarupan was only exploiting the issues facing the Indian Malaysian community for political ends, Jagathisvaran said, “Why not?”

The MIUP vice-president said his president’s political ambitions had prompted him to make his various sacrifices for the interests of the Indian Malaysian community.

“Is PKR a party without any political ambition? If that is the case than it is a sad chapter for Malaysian politics,” said Jagathisvaran.

Arumugam , meanwhile, claimed that PKR’s ‘uncalled for’ attack on his party was caused by the latter’s frustration over the fact that Nallakarupan had left PKR to form MIUP.

He said PKR’s criticisms had been sparked by the fact that MIUP had sworn to support for the Barisan Nasional-led government and the leadership of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.