Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, known as Asia's top debater, has criticised what he said is DAP's ‘half-hearted’ challenge to take on 1MDB president and group executive director Arul Kanda Kandsamy.

This was after DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke today said it will not allow the party's Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua to quit the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in order to take on Arul Kanda.

Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia has insisted that Pua, as a member of the PAC, cannot debate Arul Kanda as 1MDB is a subject of the committee's investigation.

However, Syed Saddiq said Pua was well aware of the consequences when he pressed for a showdown with Arul Kanda.

"Dear DAP, you started off by insulting the executive director of 1MDB for being a coward, a person with no integrity, a person who fears to be placed under public scrutiny.

"You then sent your knight in shining armour to challenge this purported 'coward'. This knight is known as Tony Pua.

"The knight which labelled the purported 'coward' a 'joker'.

"Before this 'joker' accepted the challenge to appear live for the 1MDB debate, this knight of yours was already informed of the possible consequences of his action, from the conflict of interest to possible suspension, yet he decided to march on," he said in a Facebook posting last night.

Humiliating defeat

However, Syed Saddiq said the DAP now appears to be finding a way out from what could possibly be a humiliating defeat against Arul Kanda, who himself is a top debater.

"You claim that your knight's position on the PAC is more important, yet this stance was only taken after you found out that the 'joker' was audacious enough to accept your veiled challenge.

"Why wasn't this brought up when the challenge was first made? Why delay this stance? Why only manifest this after the ‘joker’ accepted the challenge?

"It's either your knight is the actual coward, or his fortress (DAP) is filled by opportunists who only know how to execute a fake half-hearted challenge," he said.

Syed Saddiq said after this episode, Arul Kanda may end up emerging as the knight in shining armour due to DAP's failure.

Previous, the vocal Syed Saddiq had also launched a stinging criticism of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak whom he described as a ‘national disgrace’over his scandals and crackdown.

Syed Saddiq is best known for winning the United Asia Debate Championship in May, but he rose to prominence after telling off Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's daughter who had derided Bersih protesters on Facebook.