Karpal wants act to protect parents

The veteran politician says a law must be put in place to protect them from errant children, and he will propose this in Parliament.

GEORGE TOWN: Senior parliamentarian Karpal Singh wants the government to enact a Maintenance of Parents Act to protect parents’ rights from errant children.

Since children were now neglecting their responsibility to take care of their parents, the DAP stalwart said he would move a Private Member’s Bill during the August parliamentary sitting to effect his proposal.

He said many children, especially sons, had now shirked their duty to maintain their parents, especially the ailing ones.

He said some children just send their parents to old folks homes or simply chased them away after getting married.

“This is wrong. It’s time to enact a law to protect the parents. We should punish children who neglect their parents,” Karpal told newsmen during his Bukit Gelugor constituency visit here today.

He added that neighbouring Singapore already had such a law, and hoped that the government would heed his call to enact the Maintenance of Parents Act.

Still early to retire

On the next general election, the DAP national chairman said the party might only allow Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Sarawak candidates to contest both parliament and state seats.
Others in the Peninsular, he said, would be told to contest either seat.

Karpal said his “one candidate – one constituency” proposal had been well received by party grassroots.
He would air his proposal at the party central executive committee “when the time is right.”

Retirement from politics was also far away from the minds of Karpal and his fellow party veteran and Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang.

Karpal said they would like to have another shot by contesting their respective seats in the next election.
“So long as the party and public want us to contest we will continue our political struggle to serve the people in our own way,” he said.

The 71-year-old wheel-chair bound politician said he was still healthy, capable and able to be in active politics.

“After all former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamed retired from active politics at 78,” he noted.