Sivarasa confirms health was an issue, accepts Anwar's decision

Incumbent Sungai Buloh MP R Sivasara confirmed that his health issue was discussed when PKR was considering whether to allow him to defend the seat that he had been winning since 2008.

Urging the end of the polemic over the Sungai Buloh candidacy, the thyroid cancer survivor said his vocal cords are impaired, forcing him to use a speech amplifier to assist and protect his voice.

He said Anwar had raised this concern with him before and he told Anwar he would find means to manage.

"Right up to last Friday morning (Oct 28) my name remained as the candidate for Sungai Buloh.

"About 5pm on that day, I received a text message from Anwar saying that after further discussion, he had decided that I would not be the candidate.

"Anwar had tried to call shortly before the text but I could not take the call then," he said in a statement, noting that he fully accepts the decision.

He added that BN's plan to field Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin was also known to PKR much earlier.

"I ask that this polemic about my not being a candidate to stop. It is more important to focus on the campaign for Harapan to win Putrajaya," Sivarasa said.

Feedback from Sungai Buloh voters

Earlier, Anwar explained he decided to field former party deputy information chief R Ramanan in Sungai Buloh instead of Sivarasa for health reasons.

This is after PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli said he had wanted Sivarasa to defend his seat instead.

PKR also announced that Anwar had been asked to reconsider, after feedback from Sungai Buloh constituents.

The decision to field fresh candidate Ramanan has caused a stir, given Sivarasa's winning streak, and the fact that he is going against a heavyweight.

Khairy would be contesting there for the first time, having given way to BN Negeri Sembilan chief Mohammad Hassan in Rembau - a seat Khairy had been winning since 2008.

Sungai Buloh is a Pakatan Harapan stronghold, with BN losing in every polling district there in the last general election.

Ramanan’s baggage

But Ramanan also comes with some baggage.

In 2014, Ramanan resigned as MIC treasurer-general after the Kuala Lumpur High Court ordered him to return RM5.5 million he fraudulently obtained from psychiatrist M Mahadevan.

Mahadevan said Ramanan led him to believe he could recover RM26.5 million owed to the psychiatrist by the Defence Ministry in backdated rental fees for a plot of land the ministry had utilised for decades.

In June 2014, Ramanan dropped his appeal against the judgment and entered a consent judgment with Mahadevan where he agreed to pay the RM5.5 million.

At the time, police said they had submitted investigation papers on the case to the Attorney-General's Chambers, but no criminal charges were eventually made against Ramanan.

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