A total of 3,011 single mothers have filed a suit against the Selangor government demanding RM16.26 million in allowance as promised by Pakatan Rakyat in its 2008 feneral election manifesto.

The women, led by Selangor Single Mothers Association chairperson Murtini Kasman filed the suit today at the Shah Alam High Court.

pkr pc abdul khalid ibrahim 130706 abdul khalid They named the Selangor government as the first defendant and Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim (right) as the second defendant.

The plaintiffs claimed that they were victims of discrimination practised bythe state government as it has failed to fulfill its promise to pay the allowance after taking over the state in 2008.

They said the state government was also being irrational when it refused to give any explanation for its failure to pay the allowance.

The plaintiffs demanded to be paid the 'single mother's allowance' of RM100 a month for 54 months (from April 1, 2008 till Oct 30, 2012), bringing the total to RM16.26 million.

They applied for a court order to compel the first defendant to create the 'Selangor Single Mothers Aid Scheme', to be managed by a state department or agency.

The plaintiffs further applied for a declaration defining a 'single mother' as a woman above the age of 18 who is divorced, a widow, a sole bread winner in family, or not living with spouse.

Murtini refuted the allegation that the association was being used as a trojan horse by certain political parties.

"We are not looking for sympathy, we just want what was promised to the single mothers in the (Pakatan) 2008 general election manifesto," she said.

On Nov 22, Murtini had led 2,020 single mothers in the state to file a similar suit involving RM10.9 million.

- Bernama