KUALA LUMPUR – Former MIC division chief Kalyana Rajasekaran Teagarajan’s decision to switch loyalties to Muda was motivated by his belief that the country must move on from race-based politics.
In an interview with Scoop, Kalyana, who is Muda’s Bukit Gasing candidate, said while he was familiar with the Barisan Nasional component party from a young age, he had a change of heart as the nation’s political situation progressed.
“My father (Datuk VKK Teagarajan) was a senior member of MIC. After I was (with MIC) for a decade, I did not want to prescribe to the concept of race-based politics anymore,” said the former Bukit Bintang MIC division chief.
Teagarajan was a former MIC central working committee member and had expressed his interest in vieing for the deputy presidency post during its party elections in 2009 before securing a spot as vice-president then.
Advocating for voters in the upcoming state elections to move away from race-based politics that fail to consider the multicultural landscape in the nation, Kalyana said he is confident in Muda achieving substantive results during the polls.
“As crazy as it might sound, I believe that it’s possible for a multicultural party like Muda to make inroads (during state polls).
“A lot of people doubt the fact that we can have a multicultural party, but I think our people are getting more mature and (have a better) understanding of the direction they want (the nation) to head in.
“To progress as a nation, we must put an end to race-based politics. We must all get together as a single Malaysian voice so that we can achieve more for our nation.”
Admitting that it is no easy task for a fledgling party like Muda to go against more established and experienced coalitions during state elections, Kalyana said the party remains firm in its dedication to bettering the country.
“I have to be honest, going against giants is an uphill battle, but we are here without any fear or favour. We don’t have masters we have to fall back on, we are here because we are brave enough to take up the challenge.”
Besides that, he said he believes Muda will be able to win about 30% of its contested seats, or six out of the 20 state constituencies it is eyeing.
“Personally, I hope that we can at least win five to six seats. None of the seats is an easy win,” he said, noting that Muda, led by its president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, will be sure to continue its efforts even if it does not manage to secure any wins.
“We are showcasing 20 candidates now, but we might be able to field 40 candidates (at the next elections). There is definitely huge interest from the public in how Muda is going to grow. Hopefully, we won’t fail them.”
Meanwhile, when asked if he was aware of how he shared an uncanny resemblance to MIC deputy president Datuk Seri M. Saravanan, Kalyana jokingly said that he would not necessarily consider the comparison a compliment.
“I get this (comparison) a lot. I’ve known (Saravanan) for a long time because of my work with MIC. I’m not fazed by the fact that I look like him.
“(Saravanan) is good-looking, but we’re two different people. I’m indifferent (about the comparison), it doesn’t really faze me.”
Bukit Gasing is set for a three-way battle as Kalyana will be going against incumbent R. Rajiv from Pakatan Harapan and D. Nallan from Perikatan Nasional. – July 29, 2023