Detained Hindraf leader offers to contest

(NST) – The list of possible Parti Keadilan Rakyat candidates for the Bukit Selambau state seat got longer yesterday with the inclusion of detained Hindu Rights Action Force leader K. Vasantha Kumar.

He indicated this to his wife K. Vickneswary and a close friend, S. Sivalingam, who visited him at the Kamunting detention centre in Taiping on Wednesday.

Vickneswary said three other detained Hindraf leaders — M. Manoharan, V. Ganabatirau and R. Kengadharan — passed to her letters supporting Vasantha Kumar's candidacy, to be given to PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

She gave the letters to Anwar yesterday.

"He promised to raise the matter at the next PKR central committee committee meeting.

"He would let us know in a few days time," she said.

Vickneswary said Vasantha Kumar was born and raised in Bedong, a small town in Bukit Selambau.

"His mother and siblings live there and he is a well-known figure there, especially after his arrest under the Internal Security Act."

She added that Vasantha Kumar obtained his degree from Universiti Utara Malaysia in Sintok, Kedah.

Vasantha Kumar's intentions comes in the wake of speculation that former members of the banned movement wanted its lawyer, N. Surendran, or coordinator R.S. Thanenthiran to contest the seat.

Kapar member of parliament S. Manakavasagam was quoted on Wednesday as saying that Surendran would make a good candidate as he had lived in Alor Star and Kuala Kedah for 20 years.

Manoharan is the third person to have contested and won a seat while under detention.

He won the Kota Alam Shah state seat in the March 8 general election last year on a DAP ticket.

Chan Kok Kit and Chian Heng Kai won the Sungai Besi and Batu Gajah parliamentary seats respectively in the 1978 general election.