Segambut MP slammed for ignorant remark
Malaysiakini.com
Mar 22, 2008
K Kabilan

MIC Federal Territory chief M Saravanan today chided Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng for questioning his appointment into the new cabinet as the deputy federal territories minister. MCPX

Saravanan was disappointed that Lim had reportedly told Segambut constituents - located in north of Kuala Lumpur - that the MIC man, being a Tapah MP, was not an appropriate candidate to be a deputy minister for the federal territories.

It was reported in Chinese dailies that Lim, a first-time Segambut MP from opposition party DAP, had said that Saravanan’s choice as a deputy minister for the federal territories was wrong as he would not even know where Segambut was located.

m saravanan mic info chief“I find this very sad. I feel sorry for the people in Segambut for having an ignorant member of Parliament,” said Saravanan today.

“How can he assume that I am from Tapah just because I am the MP for that area? Isn’t he aware that even before being the Tapah MP I had been the MIC FT chief?” asked Saravanan, who is also the MIC information chief.

“I am an all-out KL boy, born here in this city and knowing full well every nook and corner here. I can assure Lim that I know full well where Segambut is. I am sure his constituents need no such assurance from me as they would be aware of that fact,” he added.

Several MIC leaders from Kuala Lumpur also expressed shock over Lim’s statement that Saravanan was ‘new’ to the city.

“In fact I think people in Segambut would have seen more of Saravanan in the past three years than they have of Lim,” said a MIC leader from Segambut.

He added that MIC and Saravanan have organised various programmes and events in Segambut in the past, as opposed “to just the handful being started by Lim now”.

To do his best for KL

Saravanan also said that he would use his new ministerial position to help the city folks in “every manner that I can”.

“They know that I am always approachable. I will do my best to solve their problems in the city,” he said.

He added that he would work closely with his minister Zulhasnan Rafique, the City Hall as well as all members of Parliament in Kuala Lumpur to make the capital a better place.

At present of the 11 parliamentary constituencies in Kuala Lumpur, the opposition controls 10 with only Zulhasnan retaining his Setiawangsa seat. The other two FT seats - Labuan and Putrajaya - are still in the control of BN/Umno.

“As the MIC chief for Kuala Lumpur, I am also aware of some of the problems the city folks face. I will look into all these problems as well,” he said.

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