Kuala Lumpur, Aug 24 - Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) chief S. Samy Vellu has challenged his arch rival S. Subramaniam to a public debate. And the latter has accepted the challenge ahead of the party's plenary next month.

'I will set the venue and time, if he is willing to come,' Subramaniam said Sunday.

He added: 'No problem. People can judge. I don't have to explain to the Malaysian Indians because they are intelligent.'

Subramaniam is a contender for one of the three deputy president's posts for which elections will take place Sep 12 and media reports say Vellu is determined to stop him in his track.

Vellu had Saturday challenged Subramaniam to a debate. His move came after Subramaniam said Vellu was acting as though he was 'the fourth contender for the post of deputy president'.

Subramaniam added that had Vellu filed for the deputy president's post Saturday, the debate would have been even more interesting.

On Vellu asking him to 'shut up' and 'act as a gentleman' or risk being 'walloped left, right and centre' by him, Subramaniam said it was no way for a party president to talk.

He added that although he and Vellu had their differences, there were ways to say them.