DAP’S M. Manogaran has received orders to prepare to stand as a candidate in the Cameron Highlands by-election. 

Citing several “indications” that he would be fielded again, Manogaran said he was the preferred choice to contest the federal seat that he lost in the May general election to Barisan Nasional’s C. Sivarraajh.

“I leave it to the party leadership to decide who they want to contest the seat,” Manogaran told The Malaysian Insight.

“But there are indications I will be the preferred candidate and I have been told to get ready.”

The Election Commission is expected to set the date for the by-election next week, following MIC’s decision not to appeal the election court’s nullification of Sivarraajh’s win on the evidence he bribed Orang Asli, including village chiefs, to secure their votes in the polls.

Manogaran, a lawyer by profession, filed to the court to have the results declared void. 

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has opened an investigation into Sivarraajh following the court decision.

Yet MIC president S. Vigneswaran said the party would again field Sivarraajh, a former MIC Youth chief.

In GE14, Sivarraajh won by 597 votes in a five-cornered fight. He polled 10,307 votes to his closest rival Manogaran’s 9,710 votes. The other candidates were from PAS, Berjasa and Parti Sosialis Malaysia. 

Manogaran was the incumbent having won the seat on a PKR ticket in 2013. Prior to that, he was the Teluk Intan MP.

The local DAP branch activated the by-election machinery since last week, he said.

“We’ll be having meetings to discuss our operations and preparations for the by-election.”

On facing Sivarrajh again, Manogaran said MIC should consult lawyers on his eligibility to contest after the court ruling that he had bribed voters.

Manogaran said he had not stopped working for DAP in Cameron Highlands even after Sivarraajh won the seat.

“Immediately after May 9, I got down to work and went to the Orang Asli villages to gather evidence (of vote-buying).

“I took down the statements of about 200 people. That was what I was doing which had taken a lot of time.

“And finally, the witnesses came to court and testified and we won the case.”

He still visits the constituency at least once a week to meet voters even though he had lost the election.

“Last week, I went for prayers at the Sri Subramanian temple in Tanah Rata and then went to visit the Orang Asli village in Jelai.

“This weekend, I will be attending programmes in Brinchang, Tanah Rata and Ringlet.” – December 14, 2018.