Published: Wednesday January 23, 2013 MYT 6:09:00 PM
Updated: Wednesday January 23, 2013 MYT 6:16:21 PM

Selangor fails in bid to strike out single mothers' RM11mil suit

By NURBAITI HAMDAN

SHAH ALAM: A High Court here has dismissed an application by the Selangor government and its Mentri Besar to strike out a RM10.9mil suit filed against them by a group of single mothers.

Justice Yaacob Md Sam, in his judgment Wednesday, said promises made in an election manifesto continued to exist for interpretation as a policy by those who were elected based on the promises.

He ruled the plaintiffs had reasonable expectation and should be given a chance to pursue legal action.

On Nov 22 last year, the group of 2,020 single mothers filed the suit against the two defendants, demanding a total of RM10.9mil in allowances due to them as promised by the Opposition pact in its 2008 election manifesto.

They named the Selangor government, comprising PKR, PAS and DAP, as the first defendant and Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, who is the chief executive of the state, as the second defendant.

They claimed that the pact, after coming into power in the state following the 2008 general election, kept its promise of coming up with a free water scheme and a RM1,000 reward to each Selangor student who gained admission to university, but reneged on the promise of giving allowances to single mothers in the state.

As such, they demanded that the 2,020 plaintiffs be paid single mothers' allowance of RM100 a month for 54 months (from April 1, 2008 to Oct 30, 2012), which totals RM10.9mil, and sought costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.

On Dec 12, last year, the defendants filed an application to strike out the suit.

Lawyer Kamarudin Ahmad later told reporters the defendants now had 30 days to file their statement of defence before a trial was fixed.

Selangor Single Mothers Association chairman Murtini Kasman Saman, who led the women, said the court's decision showed that they were on the right track with the suit.

"Political parties should not simply make empty promises," she said.

This is the first group of single mothers filing such a suit against the state government. A second group of 3,011 single mothers filed another similar suit demanding for RM16.26mil on Dec 12, 2012.

News

Published: Wednesday January 23, 2013 MYT 6:09:00 PMUpdated: Wednesday January 23, 2013 MYT 6:16:21 PM

Selangor fails in bid to strike out single mothers' RM11mil suit

By NURBAITI HAMDAN

Published: Wednesday January 23, 2013 MYT 6:09:00 PM
Updated: Wednesday January 23, 2013 MYT 6:16:21 PM