Senators should be elected by the people ...not appointed by the State and Federal. Now that BN has used one of its Senator openings, and appointed Waythamoorthy as a Senator - he should not foolishly quit as Senator just because he quits the Najib cabinet...or should he?
Waythamoorthy should not resign as Senator - even if he has resigned from Najib's Cabinet.... He should use his position as Senator to speak out for justice and rights... After all, the position of Senator is by appointment and the BN really has too many... Senators should really be elected by the people - hopefully the Pakatan Rakyat and the Opposition in Malaysia must commit to election of Senators...by the people..
Waytha hands in resignation letter to PM
Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia (PHM) chairperson P Waythamoorthy has resigned from his post as deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department, the association said in a statement today.
PHM secretary P Ramesh said that Waythamoorthy tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak at the Prime Minister's Department at 5.05pm today, despite earlier reports claiming he had resigned in the afternoon.
"In his resignation letter, he had elucidated his reasons for relinquishing his duties from the current administration," the short statement reads.
The Star Online, meanwhile, had quoted a source from the Prime Minister's Department as confirming receipt of the resignation letter at 5pm today.
Sin Chew Daily had earlier quoted Ramesh as saying that Waythamoorthy had resigned earlier in the afternoon itself.Waythamoorthy’s position as a senator remains unclear, as Senate president Abu Zahar Ujang (right) was quoted by portal The Malaysian Insider as saying that he had not been made aware by Waythamoorthy or received any letter to that end.
However, in a text message to Malaysiakini, PHM national adviser N Ganesan said that Waythamoorthy has resigned from both posts.
Waythamoorthy himself had been unavailable for any comment or confirmation on the matter.
The lawyer turned NGO activist has not made any public statements ever since Ramesh issued a statement on Saturday announcing that Waythamoorthy will relinquish his posts today.
Waythamoorthy returned to Malaysia in 2012 following a self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom following the crackdown on the 2007 Hindraf rally.
He
has been leading PHM, a splintered faction from the original Hindu
Rights Action Force since his return. The other faction is still led by
his brother, P Uthayakumar (left, in picture).Uthayakumar is currently serving a two-year jail term for sedition. He was sentenced on the same day Waythamoorthy was sworn in as a senator.
The two brothers had an open war of words when Waythamoorthy controversially decided to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BN prior to the general election last year.
He had pledged Indian votes for BN and was subsequently awarded a deputy minister post after the elections.
However, his vocal championing of causes such as deaths in custody had prompted calls from BN ministers such as Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, and Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, for him to resign.
Najib himself had ticked Waythamoorthy off for not toeing the government line before.- Malaysiakini, 10/2/2014, Waytha hands in resignation letter to PM
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