Nalla: ‘I won’t slander Anwar’

Newly appointed senator says he will, nevertheless, retaliate if his erstwhile buddy makes any allegations against him.

KUALA LUMPUR: KS Nallakaruppan, once a close friend of Anwar Ibrahim, said while he will refrain from criticising the opposition leader, he will speak up if allegations were made against him.

Malaysian Indian United Party (MIUP) president Nallakaruppan, who was sworn in as a Senator today, was asked if he would turn against his former friend and reveal Anwar’s wrongdoings following the footsteps of fellow senator Ezam Mohd Nor, who was also Anwar’s one time close aide.

“I don’t want to take revenge on anybody but if he touches me, I’ll touch him,” he said. “We will wait and see what the other side will do…”

He said that he had hardly spoken to Anwar lately and their last meeting happened sometime ago when they bumped into each other at the airport.

Nallakarupan refused elaborate on the matter, saying: “I came here with my family today. I don’t want to comment about him today…Today is a good day for me”.

Nallakarupan said that as a senator he hopes to “work for the rakyat” and added that specific plans will be revealed at a later date on how this will be achieved.

When asked if his selection as a senator is a prelude to him contesting in the upcoming general election, he said that it was up to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to decide.

Nalakaruppan formed his own party following a fall-out with Anwar in 2007 and had aligned himself to Barisan Nasional.