The war of words between two component parties in the ruling BN coalition is beginning to degenerate into a fight between schoolboys.

People's Progressive Party (PPP) president M Kayveas today issued yet another challenge to his counterpart in Gerakan, Dr Lim Keng Yaik.

Should Lim accept, it would mean one of them would have to resign from all their posts.

Speaking at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today, Kayveas, who is also deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said that truth must prevail.

Yesterday, Lim chided Kayveas for telling the media that Lim was expelled from MCA in 1969 and had gone to see former PPP president SP Seenivasagam.

Lim, who is also energy, water and communications minister, said Kayveas was a schoolboy in 1969 and would not know much about politics at that time.

However, the PPP president today told reporters that if Lim could prove him wrong, he is willing to step down from all his posts.

"(But) if I can prove what I said was true based on evidence, I challenge him (Lim) to resign not only from Gerakan but also his cabinet minister post," he said.

Newspaper clippings

Oozing with sarcasm, the PPP president said Lim as a 'big boy' should set an example for 'small boys' by telling the truth.

Kayveas also showed reporters newspaper clippings to prove his claim that Lim was sacked by MCA.

"I have no intentions of fighting, I am merely explaining the truth," he said, adding that he respected the advice from Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to end the bickering.

On the same note, he claimed, Lim's remarks in the past were personal attacks, motivated by jealousy.

Kayveas was also questioned about his Taiping parliamentary seat, to which he said the seat had originally belonged to PPP and not Gerakan.

He said for 38 years there was no development in the constituency, but in recent years the Perak township has seen a little development and now Lim wants the seat back.

"Once when he was given the Taiping seat, he declined and opted for a seat in Simpang Renggam and now he wants Taiping back. This is unfair," he said.

Tensions have been brewing between the two parties since Perak Menteri Besar Tajol Rosli appointed Gerakan Wanita head and Bukit Gantang MP Tan Liao Hoe as the BN Taiping division chief.

Fuel was added to the fire when a Gerakan vice-president openly told Kayveas to accept that Taiping was a Gerakan seat.

Kayveas was given the Taiping seat in the 2004 general elections following a one-off arrangement between Umno and Gerakan.

In return, Gerakan was given the Bukit Gantang seat, which originally belong to Umno. Umno wants the seat back at the next general election.

Meanwhile, Kayveas said the Barisan Nasional (BN) should take action against Lim and not him as suggested by the veteran leader previously.

"I would like to stress that PPP always talks based on evidence, we don't talk for nothing, we always follow the law and regulations" he said.