Pundits have named MIC vice president M Saravanan as the best person to represent BN and DAP’s P Ramasamy to represent Pakatan.
Netizens and Indian grassroots leaders have been wondering aloud how such a debate would play out. The top question is, “Who should represent BN and who should represent Pakatan Rakyat?”
MIC deputy president Dr S Subramaniam on Sunday ruled out any such debate, saying that his party would not entertain it if challenged by Pakatan Rakyat. But that has not stopped the calls.
The Chua-Lim debate was in Mandarin, and many of those looking forward to the Indian showdown have called for the use of Tamil.
The general impression is that MIC should not have a problem getting a good Tamil orator. However, according to a MIC leader who did not want to be named, the cold truth is that there is a dearth of leaders in MIC who can take on the opposition in Tamil.
“We know the president (G Palanivel) and Subramaniam can speak fluent Tamil, but a debate is a different story,” he said. “I really do not think they have the capability of answering questions spontaneously in the language.”
He said the best person to represent MIC would be M Saravanan, the Deputy Minister of Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing and the party vice-president.
“Saravanan is the only person capable of doing that after Samy Vellu (the former party president). He has the street-fighter qualities. His Tamil is arguably excellent. He is Tamil educated and well versed with Indian issues. I do not see any other leader with that potential in MIC.”
He described Saravanan as the shining star in the party and said a public debate would help him prove his worth.
Saravanan told FMT he would make himself available for a debate provided the venue was neutral and the topic worthwhile.
Excellent choice
On the opposition side, one of the names frequently mentioned is P Ramasamy, one of the two deputy chief ministers of Penang.
“That would be an excellent choice,” said the MIC leader. “Ramasamy is deputy chief minister while Saravanan is deputy minister. Ramasamy is deputy secretary general of DAP while Saravanan is MIC vice president. Both are good speakers, but I do not know much of Ramasamy’s Tamil skills.”
A grassroots MIC leader argued that there was no need for Palanivel to debate with any Indian opposition leader as none of them headed a political party. Karpal Singh is the chairman of DAP, but he cannot speak Tamil.
The MIC man said PKR vice president N Surendran was not suitable either, being a political greenhorn and having little command of Tamil.
Ramasamy is not keen on a debate. “Why should we debate with MIC when it is Umno that is calling the shots?” he said in an interview with FMT. “Although I would welcome the debate, if arranged, there is no point in pitting one Indian against another.”
For such a debate, he said, content would be more important than language proficiency.
Ramasamy may have left the door open for such a debate, but Surendran has slammed it shut.
In a twitter message apparently responding to calls for him to debate with MIC, Surendran said: “MIC is powerless and irrelevant. I’ll debate an Umno minister. I am not an Indian leader. I am a Malaysian leader.”
In an interview with FMT, he said problems in the Indian community were caused by Umno and that the MIC, touted as the largest political party for Malaysian Indians, had no say in the running of the government.
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