Woman lodges report against Barisan Nasional MP

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: A 38-year-old single mother of three lodged a police report against Cameron Highlands member of parliament Datuk S.K. Devamany alleging he cheated her on an allocation for a food stall.

R. Revathi, from Blue Valley Tea Estate, made the report at the Kampung Raja police station on Nov 29.

She claimed that 15 days before the March 8 general election, several MIC officals who represented Devamany told her that a site at Jalan Simpang Pulai-Blue Valley had been identified for the construction of the stall.

When she asked for an approval letter, the woman, who in her report claimed to work at a food stall owned by her brother at the estate, was told it could not be issued as Devamany had yet to win the seat and it was his res- ponsibility to allocate the land.

Revathi spent RM3,700 to build the stall.

She claimed Devamany acknowledged the site and promised he would make the arrangements when her mother approached him at a temple function on March 6.

However, a week after the polls, enforcement officers from the Cameron Highlands District and Land Office demolished the stall because it did not have approval.

The woman, who met Devamany on March 24, was told that he could not help her since he received only a few votes from Blue Valley.

She claimed MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu asked Devamany to solve the problem when her mother met them in October during a visit to Blue Valley Tea estate.

Revathi alleged she was barred from raising the issue when Devamany visited a temple in Blue Valley on Nov 7.

Devamany, however, claimed he had told Revathi that an alternative site would be allocated by the District Office to her provided she closed the stall owned by her brother. "But she refused and demanded for the same site at Jalan Simpang Pulai-Blue Valley."

The District Office had issued eviction notices to several stalls, including the one her brother operated.

According to Cameron Highlands MIC division chairman S. Parimanan, the stall was managed by Revathi after her brother moved out to Simpang Pulai.

Devamany said: "There are many applicants for the stalls and the woman cannot have two stalls. No promises were made but we told her that her plight would be considered."

NST online
07/12/08