KLANG, 10 Dec: The State Government will make a counter suit to the conspirators involved regarding the allowance for single mothers which was claimed to not be delivered by the State Government which is being administered by Pakatan Rakyat (PR).
Welfare, Women’s Affairs, Science, Technology, Innovation and Culture Exco, Rodziah Ismail said that the countersuit was made because it involves the integrity of the State Government which has been slandered by some unscrupulous people.
She said that the State Government has so far amortised many welfare programs and has not ignored any despite political differences.
“We have received summons letter from Messrs Kamarudin & Partners and our side is looking into the suit while the state attorney is preparing a number of documents for us to make a counter suit,” she said to reporters after the Selangor ‘Thank You Chief Minister’ Programme for the State Government’s contribution of free water supply to Bukit Kuda Apartments, here.
She said that more than 2,000 single mother nominees have allegedly not received the single mother assistance will also be checked for validity of their claim.
Previously, 2,020 single mothers in Selangor had filed a lawsuit worth RM10.9 million against the State Government and the Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim for allegedly failing to give the single mothers allowance as contained in the 12th General Election Manifesto.
The lawsuit was filed by Messrs Kamarudin & Partners at the Shah Alam Registrar of the High Courts recently.
In the claim, it was stated that the State Government and Abdul Khalid, who were named first and second defendants, failed to pay the single mothers allowance of RM100 as promised in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Manifesto for 54 months starting from the 1st of April 2008 till the 30th of October 2012 to all plaintiffs totaling to RM10,908,000.
Rodziah explained that the ‘allowance’ specified in the Pakatan Rakyat manifesto during the last elections did not specify money as the form of assistance given to single mothers, instead it prioritises those who are eligible.
But, it is a form of assistance which is delivered through a number of programmes such as the economic programme which involves mothers like the Women Empowerment Programme through the Centre of Women Empowerment (PWB), Urban and Rural Microcredit Schemes (MiMBAR and SkimSel), Selangor SOHO Single Mothers Empowerment Programme and the Farm Women Microcredit Scheme (WALA).
She also advised the single mothers involved to not be a ‘saddle horse’ (hack) for any other party for the benefit of political parties.
“I dare say that they are only ‘acting’ of allegedly being betrayed by the State Government because they are pressured or have been cheated by other political parties,” she said.