DAP national vice chairperson M Kulasegaran has denounced as "scurrilous" an attack on party secretary general Lim Guan Eng's motives in wanting to visit jailed and ailing Hindraf leader P Uthayakumar.

Specifically, the MP for Ipoh Barat was referring to an SMS, being circulated in advance of the re-election by the DAP of its central executive committee on September 29, which purports to mock Guan Eng's motives.

NONE According to Kulasegaran ( right ), the SMS reads: "Dap's Lim Guan Eng's intention to visit Hindraf leader P Uthayakumar in Kajang jail, all of sudden is only an hidden agenda to fish Indian delegate votes in the coming CEC election on 29.9.13.

"All delegates are strongly advised not to vote the father and son dynasty - pls fwd. - from Selangor Dap delegates."

Kulasegaran described the SMS as "scurrilous and most unfair to both Guan Eng and Kit Siang."

He explained that Guan Eng did not "all of a sudden" show interest in wanting to visit Uthayakumar.

"On July 21, it was reported in web news portals that Uthayakumar's family had aired their anxiety about the state of his health and said it merited serious medical attention," said Kulasegaran, in tracing the timeline on the sequence of actions as they took place. matter.

Litany of prisoner's woes

"His wife S Indradevi alleged that her husband did not receive medical attention for his back pain, caused by a degenerative lumbar condition," he added.

He said Indradevi had revealed that her husband had to sleep on a thin mattress and without pillows despite doctor's advice that he be given a pillow.

lim guan eng interview 160813 02 The DAP legislator said that on July 22, Guan Eng ( left ) had issued a statement urging the federal government and the Kajang Prison authorities to immediately ensure that Uthayakumar is given urgent treatment.

Kulasegaran said Guan Eng then followed up with official letters to Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Prisons Department head Zulkifli Omar respectively on July 22 and July 24 to express his wish to visit Uthayakumar.

He added that when Zulkifli, in a letter dated September 6, informed Guan Eng that his application was rejected, Guan Eng publicly reiterated his wish to visit Uthayakumar a few days after receipt of the rejection letter.

"I was an ex-convict, so I understand his needs and problems," Kulasegaran quoted Guan Eng as having told a press conference at the DAP headquarters.

Concern for Uthayakumar long standing

He said on August 15, the DAP CEC decided to hold a re-election to avoid being deregistered by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) although the party felt the directive does not have the sanctity or authority of the law.

NONE "So the claim is untrue that Guan Eng has ‘all of a sudden' shown concern for Uthayakumar's health.

"It is also unfair to accuse him of wanting to garner support in the coming CEC election via Uthayakumar's ( right ) health issue as the decision to hold a re-election was only made on August 15," argued Kulasegaran.

"I call on all party delegates and members to reject baseless, unjust and malicious attacks against anybody, more so the party secretary general and its adviser who have striven nobly in its cause.

"I also call on the delegates to give their full support to the present national leadership, particularly in this hour of the party's trial by vested interests who employ the devious stratagem of rule-by-law to undermine the ideal of rule-of-law which the DAP valiantly upholds," asserted the MP.