Pakatan Rakyat Row Hots Up: Karpal chides Kapar rep, urges him to quit

KUALA LUMPUR: The Kapar member of parliament should resign as MP and wait another five years before contesting, DAP chairman Karpal Singh said yesterday.

He said S. Manikavasagam, who is expected to resign from Parti Keadilan Rakyat before the New Year, was elected as an MP on a PKR ticket.

"People did not elect him in his personal capacity. He has no right to leave PKR and join any other party.

"His only other option is to resign so that the people in the constituency can decide what they want," Karpal said.

Karpal said there was a constitutional provision which states that an elected representative who resigns cannot stand for an election or by-election for a period of five years.
"This constitutional provision was included in the constitution by way of amendment by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad when Semangat 46 was formed."

Karpal said Manikavasagam should not use the five-year ban as an excuse to remain an MP.

"Under the circumstances, he should resign. If he decides that he is unhappy with PKR, then a by-election would be proper," he said.

Karpal also said Selangor assembly speaker Teng Chang Khim should not have got into a spat with Manikavasagam and Klang MP Charles Santiago over the Klang Sentral Terminal issue.

Teng said Santiago had been bought over by the BN when he protested against the relocation of the current bus and taxi station to the new Klang Sentral Terminal.