MALAYSIA'S Home Ministry will not release the five Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders detained under the Internal Security Act, despite Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) president S. Samy Vellu's call to do so.
Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar acknowledged the MIC leader's right to make the call, but maintained that the ministry had acted in accordance with the law.
'It was a decision made based on legitimate processes of the law before I took over the office of ensuring security and public order in the country,' he said, referring to the detention of the five men.
Datuk Seri Samy Vellu had on Sunday urged the government to release the five Hindraf leaders, who had been detained for their involvement in a large anti-government rally last November.
His call came as a surprise, as he had up to then been supportive of the detention.
Datuk Seri Syed Hamid, however, did not comment on the MIC leader's call, saying instead: 'I will not be judgmental, nor will I speculate. He is a politician, he has the right to voice opinions as he is the leader of a national party. But we have the duty and responsibility to perform better.'
Last year's mass rally by about 20,000 Indians on the streets of Kuala Lumpur in November to plead for the plight of the community was instrumental in turning the Indians against the Barisan Nasional government.
BERNAMA
No comments:
Post a Comment