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Jerai PKR chief quits

By Shanon Shah

March 30, 2009

SUNGAI PETANI, 30 Mar 2009:  Jerai Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) chief B Kalaivanar announced today he was quitting the party and that he has applied to dissolve the entire Jerai division.

He said he had consulted the division and there was an overwhelming loss of confidence in what PKR stood for.

“At one time the Reformasi movement dubbed (former Prime Minister Tun Dr) Mahathir (Mohamad) the ‘firaun’ (pharaoh), but now we can see that (PKR adviser Datuk Seri) Anwar (Ibrahim) is also a pharaoh and a dictator,” he said.


Kalaivanar
He was, however, unable to provide concrete incidents and examples of how Anwar had been a dictator.

Kalaivanar said he was motivated by a desire to defend true democracy, and would still go on campaigning during the Bukit Selambau by-election.

But when asked who he would be campaigning for, he said, “It will not be the PKR candidate, and it will not be any of the independent candidates.”

That would leave only the Barisan Nasional candidate, Datuk S Ganesan, left to campaign for.

Although Kalaivanar said he would start campaigning today, he did not reveal to reporters where and when he would start his campaigning activities.

Manipulating sentiments

Kalaivanar accused PKR of manipulating the sentiments of Indian Malaysians to support the party without ever having done anything concrete to help the community.

He also claimed that PKR was every bit as undemocratic as it accused the Barisan Nasional (BN) of being.

“Since 2004, there have not been any elections to appoint office bearers at the state level, for example for state information chief,” he said.

“There have also been no Chinese [Malaysian] or Indian [Malaysian] deputies at the state level of leadership,” he said.

Kalaivanar claimed that PKR itself was guilty of fanning racial sentiments, and playing to different racial galleries when it was expedient for the party.

He also claimed that the governing coalition in Kedah did not uphold Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as a coalition.

“The state government always refers to and regards itself as the PAS government, not the PR government,” he said.

He also accused PR of indulging in excesses and cronyism as well, claiming that there were contracts and government-linked companies now in PKR’s pocket.

When asked for proof of his claims, however, he was unable to provide any, saying instead: “I’m not delving into details today. Today, I just want to announce my quitting the party.”

When asked also if his decision to quit had anything to do with PKR fielding S Manikumar as its candidate in Bukit Selambau, he said, “I don’t want to comment on that. I don’t know him that well anyway.”

Kalaivanar was also asked the reason why he chose to announce his decision during the by-election campaigning period.

“I will reveal my reasons tomorrow, step by step. I am not looking for cheap publicity, because I am a seasoned politician,” the 45-year-old said.

Pressure groups

Kalaivanar said he would not be crossing over to or joining any other political party.

He said he would concentrate instead on his two NGOs — the Malaysian Indian Efficiency Movement and the Alternative Action Team — to become pressure groups on social issues.

“I agree with the approach taken by Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye. When he found that he could no longer work with the opposition parties, he started working in the NGO sector,” he said.

Kalaivanar was accompanied by around 30 supporters at his press conference.

He also announced the resignations from PKR of five village council heads — R Vijayan, M Latha, Low Hwa Weng, S Vasudevan, and N Sanggkar — and the resignation of Kedah PKR Wanita deputy chief and Jerai Wanita chief K Deivanai.


Bakar Arang village council head R Vijayan taking off his PKR party shirt. “I am sick of the party,” he said

At the closing of the press conference, Kalaivanar and his supporters also raised their fists, coining several new slogans including “Makkal Poratham” (people’s struggle).

After the press conference, Kalaivanar was spotted by reporters shaking hands with newly elected Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at the Cinta Sayang Resort here.

Asked about Kalaivanar’s announcement at another event, PKR information chief Tian Chua said Kalaivanar’s move showed he no longer supported PKR’s struggle to uphold justice and multiracialism, Merdeka Review reported.

Chua also noted that the Jerai division would not dissolve just because of Kalaivanar’s resignation from the party.

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: Anwar Ibrahim, B Kalaivanar, BN, by-election, chief, dictator, dissolve, firhaun, independent, Jerai, kedah, Makkal Poratham, PKR, quits, S Ganesan, S Manikumar, Tian Chua, village

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. orang kampung says

    March 30, 2009 at 2:49 pm

    No point retaining such members. Always asking for what he/she can get from the party instead of what he/she could contribute to the party.

    It is such types that PKR should weed out early from its party.

  2. Rani says

    March 30, 2009 at 3:05 pm

    From the frying pan into the fire. Mr Kalaivanar, a real gentleman will stand up and fight for injustices, irrespective of race, and not run away.

  3. abubaker says

    March 30, 2009 at 3:39 pm

    The Jerai PKR chief’s resignation and his application to dissolve the Jerai division is nothing more than a tantrum or display of anger out of frustration or unfulfilled desires.

    People who can’t work with others reduce the capacities of their organisations.They don’t get the full benefit of their people’s talent, and they always waste everybody’s time, including their own.

    In a group or organisation, everybody learns something. A good leader must have a comprehensive understanding of pure leadership and must be able to sacrifice himself [or herself] for his [or her] organisation and people.

    An opportunist will always ask, “What is in it for me?”

  4. tangkup says

    March 30, 2009 at 3:54 pm

    Ini bukan berjuang untuk rakyat. Ini berjuang untuk diri sendiri la.

  5. devillaine says

    March 30, 2009 at 4:56 pm

    Good that this bunch are deserting PKR. At least DSAI can rest assured he has a better team to lead.

  6. din haron says

    March 30, 2009 at 5:00 pm

    People like Kalaivanar who struggle for his own interest are welcome to leave the party. PKR doesn’t need members like him. It’s not that you may leave the party but you must leave the party.

  7. kip says

    March 30, 2009 at 8:33 pm

    Wow… resign on your own accord and try to dissolve the whole (division)…? If you want to resign, by all means do so (but) quit pulling other people (along) with you.

    Principles or is there some money waiting somewhere for you? There is no truth in what politicians say today. Who do we trust in? I really don’t know how to answer these questions anymore.

  8. Makka Sakti says

    March 31, 2009 at 12:18 am

    Good development! Spring cleaning??

  9. Affection says

    April 1, 2009 at 7:18 am

    There are news reports dated 11 June 2008 in the press that this guy was charged in court for a cheating case. [Editor’s note: google “PKR man faces cheating rap”. The original link to the NST story is no longer available but the story is reproduced in blogs.]

    It was related to payments he received in relation to a Soscso withdrawal for an elderly Tamil lady.

    The reporters at the event where he announced his resignation could have asked if his decision was related to this outstanding case.

    It’s not too late. This question can be posed at all PKR ceramahs in Bukit Selambau.

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