PKR candidate hits back at detractors
SUNGAI PETANI (March 31, 2009) : PKR’s candidate in the Bukit Selambau state by-election, S. Manikumar, has hit back at his detractors for criticising his selection, accusing them of harbouring a personal agenda against him.
The 35-year old entrepreneur, who speaks fluent Kedah-style Malay and has been a member of the party’s Merbok division for the last two years, said he was merely answering the call to serve the reformation movement under PKR to the best of his abilities.
“I cannot please everyone. They (his critics) have their own styles. We have our own principles and dignity,” he said at the PKR centre in Sungai Lalang here.
Manikumar said the PKR leadership may have opted for him because of his education, international business exposure and the fact that he was close to the local Malays, Indians, Chinese and even Siamese.
An MBA holder from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), the Spanish-speaking entrepreneur has served as a consultant to a Thai multi-national concern and has been an active member of the Kedah Indian Chamber of Commerce.
“There were 18 candidates who were shortlisted (by PKR). They selected me,” he said.
“If I had not been chosen, I would be supporting the candidate who was.”
Manikumar, who had been seemingly reserved in giving comments before this, grew visibly impassioned yesterday as the tide of campaigning intensified just two days after nominations.
He said his vision was to help the people cast aside their ethnic differences. “If we Malaysians were to take away our racial differences, no one can compete against us,” he said.
He said there were also numerous infrastucture issues that needed to be addressed in Bukit Selambau.
PKR supreme council member Dr Xavier Jayakumar questioned the party’s former Jerai division head, B. Kalainavar, for choosing the occasion of the by-election to announce his resignation and criticise the party leadership.
“We had no problems with him before. But if he uses the occasion of this by-election to come out of the party and express dissatisfaction with the candidate, thenhe must indeed have an agenda,” Jayakumar said.
He said other PKR members were not disappointed with the party’s choice of Manikumar and would give him their full support.
Jeyakumar said that contrary to Kalainavar’s reported assertion that some 500 party members from the Jerai division and state had resigned, he found only 20 had done so.
“We won’t be short of supporters in Bukit Selambau. Our spirit s are high,” he said. The Sun
