GE13: Manogaran to take on MIC president in Cameron Highlands

KUALA LUMPUR: Teluk Intan MP M. Manogaran will challenge MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel in the Cameron Highlands parliamentary seat in the 13th general election.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said Manogaran had the credentials to contest in the seat.

“Manogaran has ideas, ideals and policies that will benefit the people,” he said.

DAP vice-chairman M. Kulasegaran said it would be tough for Manogaran.

“It is an uphill task but he is most suitable for Cameron Highlands,” said Kulasegaran.

Manogaran said it would be a tough fight and he would work hard to gain the confidence of the electorate.

The Cameron Highlands seat was last contested by the MIC in 2008, with vice-president Datuk S.K. Devamany retaining the seat with a 3,117 vote majority against J. Appalasamy.

Devamany has moved to Sungai Siput.

Yesterday, Lim also named outgoing Teras state assemblyman Leong Ngah Ngah as the party's candidate for the Tanah Rata seat.

In an immediate development, the three DAP branches in Cameron Highlands have decided to close their operations room in protest over the naming of “outsiders” for the Cameron Highlands parliament and Tanah Rata state seat.

Cameron Highands DAP branch chairman A. Ramu said they were unhappy with the leadership as they had not given a local the opportunity to contest.

It is believed that the leadership had informed Appalasamy, who had contested for five terms, to give way.

A DAP official said Appalasamy's daughter Saratha, who has an economics degree, was proposed as a candidate but it was not accepted by the leadership.

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