KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — The Selangor government will continue to look out for the interests of single mothers, PKR’s Rodziah Ismail has said following the legal victory by the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state administration.
Yesterday, the Court of Appeal held that an election manifesto is not legally enforceable, striking out a lawsuit by a group of 2,020 Selangor single mothers who were seeking RM10.9 million from the PR state government, calculated based on the promised monthly allowance of RM100.
Rodziah (picture), the Batu Tiga state assemblyman, reiterated the Selangor administration’s commitment to help single mothers, saying the lawsuit was a waste of time and legal costs could have been avoided.
She said the Selangor government intends to offer aid to single mothers in other forms besides providing allowances, listing a few other methods such as micro-credit schemes, courses to teach skills and build character, aid for their children who are still schooling.
“The Selangor government wants to help the people in phases to be independent by realising the concept of welfare to workfare... for the people that need aid. Just giving RM (money) periodically can no longer be considered as a solution to eradicate poverty and the people’s difficulties in the long run,” Rodziah, who was the Selangor exco member in charge of women affairs, said in a statement today.
She said the Selangor government will only help single mothers, including those who had sued the PKR-led administration, who were eligible for aid.
PR had in their 2008 election manifesto pledged to provide a free water scheme and monthly allowances to aid single mothers, but was sued when it allegedly failed to fulfil the latter after taking over the state.
In the May 5 polls, the PR pact once again won the country’s wealthiest state, with PKR’s Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim sworn in today as the state’s mentri besar for a second term.
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