Is it time to look for ANOTHER Menteri Besar for Selangor?

Embarassing position taken by Opposition Menteri Besar...of course Manoharan who has been chosen by the people should be sworn in at the same time as every other State Assemblymen - and the said "Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim" (who is behaving just like any Barisan Nasional Menteri Besar) should have insisted on it and demanded also that the said M Manoharan be immediately released.

He should even have gone ahead and chosen the said M Manoharan as one of the Deputy Menteri Besars, at the very least as a member of the State Exco.

It is before the HRH the Sultan of Selangor that the swearing-in will happen and it is unacceptable for the Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (the current PM) to disobey the Sultan or to show gross dis-respect to HRH. But alas now this said "Khalid Ibrahim" has just endorsed the continuous detention of M Manoharan under the ISA - not even insisting that he be brought in for the swearing-in before the Sultan NOW - and if this opportunity is missed, M Manoharan will never be sworn-in any time soon....

And if true, "...Khalid had said that Manoharan's detention was a political issue....", he certainly does not deserve to be Menteri Besar of Selangor.

If true, what "...Bar Council vice-president Ragunath Kesavan said: "He should be sworn in with the rest of the assemblymen because he is elected by the people. Only then can his name be gazetted as a state assemblyman.

"Not doing so deprives him of his rights, such as his allowances and access to information and documents which can be delivered to him."...", then it is a grave injustice..

A Menteri Besar who does not even stand-up for the rights of one of his own Barisan Alternative State Assembly person --- who have been chosen by a significant number of Selangor persons as their representative DOES NOT EVEN DESERVE TO BE MENTERI BESAR.

What is the stance of the leadership of the Barisan Alternative --- forget this Manoharan - let him languish in Kamunting ....OR WHAT?



2008/03/16

‘Manoharan has right to take office quickly’

M. Manoharan won the Kota Alam Shah state seat

KUALA LUMPUR: The Bar Council disagrees with the Selangor menteri besar that there is no urgency for Internal Security Act detainee M. Manoharan to be sworn in as an assemblyman.

Bar Council vice-president Ragunath Kesavan said: "He should be sworn in with the rest of the assemblymen because he is elected by the people. Only then can his name be gazetted as a state assemblyman.

"Not doing so deprives him of his rights, such as his allowances and access to information and documents which can be delivered to him."

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim had said it was not urgent for Manoharan to be sworn in as an assemblyman because he was not being made an executive councillor.

Khalid had said that Manoharan's detention was a political issue and the opposition in parliament would call for the Internal Security Act to be repealed.
Manoharan, who is being detained at the Kamunting detention camp, won the Kota Alam Shah state seat under DAP.

Ragunath said although Manoharan was in detention, he could serve his constituents by communicating with them through his family members.

He said it did not make sense for Manoharan to be detained for "being a threat to national security" when he was elected as the people's representative.

Manoharan, meanwhile, has expressed his desire to be present at the swearing-in ceremony of the Selangor government.

In a press statement issued by his wife, Puspaneela Manoharan, it was stated that Manoharan was also keen on being made an executive council member so that he could serve his constituents.