PENASIHAT UNDANG-UNDANG HINDRAF MUNGKIN LETAK JAWATAN ADUN KOTA ALAM SHAH

Berdasarkan laporan Bernama dan Malaysian Insider, meskipun dinafikan oleh beberapa pihak termasuk isteri M. Manoharan sendiri, Manoharan memikirkan untuk mengosongkan kerusi Kota Alam Shah Selangor. Keputusan muktamad akan dibuat 19 Mei nanti. Ini bermakna satu lagi PRK di Selangor.

Adun Kota Alam Shah Buat Keputusan Lepas Jawatan 19 Mei Ini

Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Kota Alam Shah, M. Manoharan, yang ditahan di bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA), hari ini mengesahkan bahawa beliau sedang memikirkan untuk mengosongkan kerusi itu.

Dalam kenyataan media yang diedarkan oleh isterinya S. Pushpaneela, Manoharan berkata beliau akan mengumumkan keputusannya secara rasmi selepas bertemu dengan Pengerusi DAP, Karpal Singh, di Kem Tahanan Kamunting, Taiping, Perak, pada 19 Mei ini.

"Saya rasa bersalah dan tidak adil kerana tidak mampu menunaikan tanggungjawab kepada pengundi pada persidangan Dewan Undangan Negeri Selangor.

"Kini saya perlu mempertimbangkan untuk meletak jawatan sebagai wakil rakyat Kota Alam Shah bagi membolehkan pilihan raya kecil diadakan," kata peguam berusia 48 tahun itu.

Dalam kenyataan itu, Manoharan turut meminta maaf kepada pengundi di kawasan itu kerana tidak dapat memberi perkhidmatan secara peribadi kerana ditahan di bawah Akta ISA sejak 2007.

Manoharan, Penasihat Undang-Undang pertubuhan haram Hindraf, bersama empat lagi pemimpin pertubuhan itu telah ditahan di bawah Akta ISA pada 13 Dis 2007.

Bagaimanapun, dua daripada mereka iaitu peguam R. Kenghadharan dan V. Ganabatirau dibebaskan pada 5 April lalu selepas Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dilantik sebagai Perdana Menteri.

Pada pilihan raya umum 8 Mac 2008, Manoharan, yang bertanding atas tiket DAP, memenangi kerusi DUN Kota Alam Shah setelah menewaskan calon Barisan Nasional (BN) Ching Su Chen dengan majoriti 7,184 undi.

-- BERNAMA
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Manoharan likely to quit Kota Alam Shah on May 19

Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M.Manoharan, who is being detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA), today confirmed that he is thinking of vacating his seat.
In a press statement distributed by his wife, S.Pushpaneela, to reporters here today, Manoharan said he would announce his official decision after meeting with DAP chairman Karpal Singh at the Kamunting Detention Centre in Perak, on May 19.

"I now have to consider resigning as a Selangor state assemblyman for Kota Alam Shah, paving the way for a by-election, in order for my constituents to re-elect their new representative who will be better able to serve them and who will be able to physically attend all the sittings of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly," he said.

In his statement, Manoharan also apologised to his constituents for being unable to serve personally due to his detention under ISA and thanked them for their patience over the last 14 months.

Manoharan, the legal adviser for the banned Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), was detained under the ISA on Dec 13, 2007, with four other leaders.
However, two of them, lawyers R.Kenghadharan and V. Ganabatirau, were released on April 5 after Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was appointed Prime Minister.

BERNAMA
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Manoharan likely to quit Kota Alam Shah on May 19

By Baradan Kuppusamy

KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 — Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M. Manoharan, who won the seat while under ISA detention, is most likely to resign on May 19 as he is not free yet to serve his constituents.

While his impending resignation could lead to a by-election for political parties fatigued with politicking, Manoharan is more frustrated with his DAP colleagues for allegedly not working hard enough to free him from detention.

His family finances have also hit rock bottom, close friends said, after 17 months being detained without trial for his involvement in the now outlawed Hindraf.

Manoharan had a lucrative legal practice and was a sought after lawyer both by the poor and the rich.

However, his wife S. Pushpaneela told The Malaysian Insider a formal decision would only be made after Manoharan meets with lawyer and DAP national chairman Karpal Singh on May 19 at the Kamunting detention centre.

“Until then there is no formal decision,” she said when contacted today after meeting her husband at the detention centre.

“He is very unhappy with how things have turned out. He remains in detention, his family is pining for him, our finances have all but collapsed and we have to make some really hard decisions,” she said.

“Such urgent decisions are necessary for us, the DAP and the constituents,” she added.

Karpal holds a special place for them because Manoharan earned his stripes as a lawyer under Karpal’s tutelage and has been a friend, colleagues and adviser.

While his wife was more circumspect, Manoharan detailed his frustration in a statement faxed to The Malaysian Insider where he says he is at his wits’ end.

He apologised to his constituents for being unable to serve personally and proceeded to list out a litany of woes he faces but stopped short of announcing his resignation.

“But the fact remains that over the last 14 months I have not been able to effectively serve the public, in particular the constituents of Kota Alam Shah.

“I feel a sense of guilt of being unable to serve the voters who have voted me as their representative,” he added.

“I now have to consider resigning as assemblyman for Kota Alam Shah, paving the way for a by-election in order for my constituents to re-elect their new representative who will be better able to serve them,” Manoharan said.

“I tried my very best in appealing to the authorities and by way of applications to free me in order for me to effectively serve the public and my constituents in particular,” he said. “I have exhausted all avenues for my release.”

Manoharan said he had sent three letters to ex-Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, three more letters to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, eight letters to former Home Minister Datuk Syed Hamid Albar, and two letters to Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

“My applications to the home minister to attend the state assembly sittings were all rejected,” he disclosed.

He said the ISA advisory board has also rejected his pleas for freedom.

The High Court has also dismissed his three habeas corpus applications and the Federal Court dismissed all three appeals.

“My 17 months of detention thus far have been very painful, which has been made worse by me being in the state of helplessness in being unable to serve my constituents.

“As such, I hereby wish to inform that I will announce my official decision (to resign or not) after meeting party chairman Karpal Singh,” Manoharan said.

Malaysianinsider

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Wife denies report about Manoharan


KUALA LUMPUR: Kota Alam Shah state representative M. Manoharan is not quitting his seat. In dismissing a Malaysiakini report yesterday, Manoharan's wife, S. Pushpaneela said she was shocked with the report as her husband did not say anything about quitting when she met him two weeks ago.

Lawyer Manoharan, who was also a leader of the banned Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) movement, is being detained at the Kamunting prison under the Internal Security Act.

"I am shocked. I met him two weeks ago and he was in good spirits.

"He did not say anything about this. I am meeting him again tomorrow and will be in a better position to comment after that."
Pushpaneela said the report came as a shock as in recent weeks, she had expanded the Kota Alam Shah state assembly service centre.

"I had taken in more people to help me run the centre," said Pushpaneela, who acts as Manoharan's representative to the voters.

Selangor executive councillor Ronnie Liew also denied the Malaysiakini report.

"The report said that Pushpaneela was under a lot of pressure from constituency work, but this is not the case."

Malaysiakini in its report quoting a source close to Manoharan, had said that the detained lawyer wanted out as he was growing frustrated over his inability to serve voters.

NST online