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Jailed Hindraf leader sworn in; vows to fight for minorities
Kazakhstan News.Net
Friday 9th May, 2008 (IANS)
Malaysian Indian lawmaker M. Manoharan, sworn in while in jail, has said he would continue to fight for the rights of the country's ethnic minorities.
Manoharan, 46, legal adviser of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), was jailed for two years along with four other Hindraf leaders after they organised a protest rally on behalf of Malaysia's two million Tamil Hindus Nov 25, 2007. The rally of estimated 10,000 was declared illegal and forcibly dispersed by police using water cannons.
Manoharan had won the Kota Shah Alam seat in the state legislature in the March general election. His plea that he be freed to take the oath was not heeded by the government.
He was administered the oath Thursday at the Kamuntin Detention Centre at Taiping by Selangor Assembly Speaker Teng Chang Khim.
'I will continue to fight all forms of discrimination and marginalisation against any community and raise public interest for justice and equality. But I am sad that I have to serve my voters while in detention,' he said in a statement read by his wife S. Pushpaneela after the swearing-in ceremony.
Only Teng, Pushpaneela, Manoharan's three children, his father M.S. Malayalam and Selangor state legal adviser Zauyah Loth Khan were allowed to be present during the ceremony.
Manoharan has become the third lawmaker to take oath while in detention under the stringent Internal Security Act (ISA). Two ethnic Chinese parliamentarians before him had done so in 1978, The Sun newspaper reported Friday.
Manoharan was elected on the nomination of the Democratic Action Party (DAP).
DAP national chairman Karpal Singh was allowed into the detention centre and join the group after the swearing-in.
Both Singh and Teng urged the government to release Manoharan so that he would be able to serve his constituents.
'The government should accept the verdict of Kota Alam Shah voters and release their elected representative,' said Singh.
He also urged that the ISA be repealed and the 68 ISA detainees at the centre be released.
'Manoharan is not a threat to national security. Instead, he received an overwhelming vote from the people,' said Teng.
During the March general election, Manoharan had one of the highest majorities for a Selangor state assemblyman, polling 12,699 votes against Barisan Nasional candidate Ching Su Chen who received 5,515.
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Comments on this story
DrShahdyne
05-10-08, 02:59 AM |
Fight for minorities
Why fight for minorities only..who are these tiny little minorities? He should have fun in detention with the minority of population in detention at Kamunting (malays,chinese and indians) with the same security risks. It is most approprite to represent “the minority”..
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Anonymous
05-09-08, 09:25 AM |
Jailed Hindraf leader sworn in; vows to fight for minorities
I happy that Manoharan sworn state assemblyman. But, sad he had to take his oath at wrong place. He won handsomely in Kota Shah Alam. If 'threat' to security people would not have vote him, right???Free him, so that he can do his duty and serve the people who vote him.
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Anonymous
05-09-08, 11:39 AM |
Its unfair to retain him in jail
Mahoharan should be release to serve the people in Kota Shah Alam.He only fight for the betterment of marginalised Indian,don’t treat an assemblyman as a criminal, it is cruel,he was elected by the people,deprive him to perform his duty means the government neglect public interest of Kota Shah Alam people.
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Anonymous
05-10-08, 01:08 AM |
Much have been said on the unfair detention of the HINDRAF leaders. Much have voiced their opinion here as well. Much have supported the call to release them. But, till today it is still met with deaf ears. The people have spoken on 8th of March. We have yet to see that their action was a threat to national security so far. But, we all acknowledge that there is a threat to the price hikes (in everything) in the immediate future that the Government should be working on. This detention issue should be resolved maturely and not drag any further as the Country moves forward into the next 50 years of Merdeks.
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Anonymous
05-09-08, 07:13 PM |
The bullying approach used by the government will not get it anywhere, instead, more people like Manoharan will rise and resist for justice to prevail. Malaysians should wake up and ask themselves whether the action taken against him is justified?
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