malaysia

PKR denies neglecting PI Bala’s widow, children

March 13, 2016

PKR lawmaker R. Sivarasa has defended the party by denying that it refused assistance to PI Bala widow's Santamil Selvi and her children. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, March 13, 2016.PKR lawmaker R. Sivarasa today came out to deny that the party had refused assistance to private investigator P. Balasubramaniam's widow Santamil Selvi and her children.

Sivarasa, the Subang M,P said Selvi received financial assistance from 2013 to March this year.

He added that the issue of assistance for Selvi was not something new but arose after Balasubramaniam's sudden and tragic death due to a heart attack in March 2013.

"I, and several other concerned individuals, took care of Bala’s hospital bills at Subang Jaya Medical Centre and all his funeral expenses. That was the least we could do for a brave individual like him who felt he had to speak out about Altantuya’s murder," he said in a statement today.

Sivarasa said as Balasubramaniam was the sole breadwinner for the family, it was clear that Selvi needed help and had, in fact, requested for help.

"Selvi is fully aware of the amount and when and how they were given," he said.

Her lawyer Americk Sidhu organised financial assistance for the family and the children’s placement in the Global Indian International School in Brickfields and paid the fees.

Sivarasa also said the Selangor government contributed some financial assistance to the family on a humanitarian basis.

Commenting on the press conference organised by Ramesh Rao for Selvi yesterday, Sivarasa said he has not spoken to Selvi by phone for many months and only communicated with her through SMS.

He said in November last year, Kapar MP G. Manivanan had met Selvi to discuss her children’s education needs.

"She was told that any commitments for fees for diploma or degree courses at private colleges for her children would have to be discussed first as substantial amounts were be involved," he said.

He thanked Selvi for preserving the integrity of her husband’s reputation when answering questions during the press conference.

"She made it very clear that the contents of Bala’s statutory declaration and his recorded interview with his lawyers in Singapore in October 2009 were true. 

"She was also clear that she would be maintaining the suit against Najib and other parties for the damage and suffering caused to her, Bala and her family. The lawyer handling the suit is Americk.

"She also made it clear that she was apologising to Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, the prime minister’s wife, for emotionally alleging, at the time of Bala’s death, that Rosmah was responsible for his death," said Sivarasa.

Yesterday, Selvi during the press conference read out an apology to Rosmah over allegations she had made over the death of her husband.

Balasubramaniam, who died in 2013 soon after returning from exile in India, had made two statutory declarations over Najib's alleged involvement in the murder of Mongolian woman Altantunya Shaariibuu.

The second statutory declaration was made to retract the first one.

In 2013, Selvi and her three children filed a suit against the Prime Minister for their exile from 2008 until 2013.

The suit also named Najib's brothers, Datuk Ahmad Johari Abdul Razak and Datuk Mohd Nazim Abdul Razak, senior lawyer Tan Sri Cecil Abraham and his son Sunil Abraham, as well as commissioner of oaths Zainal Abidin Muhayat and lawyer M. Arunapalam as respondents. – March 13, 2016.