Kuala Lumpur, May 1 (Inditop) Unable to personally serve his constituency, a jailed Malaysian Indian legislator may quit his assembly seat, a website reported.
But M. Manoharan’s wife says she has no knowledge of it and got no such indication when she met him last at the detention centre.
Manoharan belongs to the Democratic Action Party (DAP) which has urged him not to quit. He has not attended the assembly even once.
Legal adviser of the banned Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), Manoharan is one of the three organisers of a protest rally and is serving a two year jail term under the stringent Internal Security Act (ISA).
Hindraf claims to speak for Malaysia’s two million-plus ethnic Indians, a bulk of them Tamil Hindus, highlighting their complaints about discrimination in jobs and education.
It was banned last year.
Manoharan’s release is due in December.
He was elected on a DAP ticket to Selangor state assembly from the Kota Alam Shah constituency.
His wife Pushpaneela denies any knowledge of her husband’s intention to resign, The Star newspaper said Friday.
“He has not told me anything nor given me any indication that he wants to resign as Kota Alam Shah assemblyman,” she said.
“I will be visiting him this weekend and I will ask him what had started this talk about him wanting to quit,” she added.
Pushpaneela is serving Manoharan’s constituents in his absence.
The newspaper did not name the online news portal that said Manoharan was considering quitting.
The report said that managing the constituency had become a burden for Pushpaneela who also has to care for their four young children.
Selangor DAP chairman Ean Yong Hian Wah said the DAP expressed confidence that Manoharan would not resign.
Selangor Mentri Besar (chief minister) Khalid Ibrahim told media that the talk of Manoharan’s impending resignation was mere speculation.
People of Indian origin form eight percent of Malasysia’s 28 million population.
