This Press Conference is called to announce 3 events. The first is to announce the launch of the Malaysian Chapter of HINDRAF, now an NGO Registered in the United Kingdom. Hindraf was registered as an NGO in the UK on the 16th of May 2011. We have done this to facilitate our continuing operation as an NGO promoting and protecting the right and interests of the Marginalized Indians in Malaysia in specific, and the minorities in Malaysia in general. Since the Government had arbitrarily declared the original HINDRAF illegal ( which in any case had yet to obtain registration ) we have proceeded to form this NGO in Britain so we can operate as a legal entity both within Malaysia as well as Internationally. HINDRAF’s UK registration certificate is attached.
The second is to announce the resumption of the civil suit by the aggrieved Malaysian Indian community against the Government of the UK for the marginalization it faces in Malaysia as a consequence of their incompetent handling of the transfer of power to the Malayan elite in 1957. The case was originally filed on the 30th of August 2007. The case has since, lapsed. Waythamoorthy, the Chairperson of Hindraf has been actively pursuing the case in the UK over the last 3 odd years. The ground work he has done now enables us to announce the resumption of the civil action. Leading us in filing the civil suit this time is Imran Khan and Suresh Grover, leading proponents of Human Rights in the UK.
Imran Khan is a very prominent Human Rights and Criminal Lawyer in the UK and is presently a partner in Imran Khan and Partners based in Holborn, Central London. Imran Khan has lectured nationally and internationally on human rights and criminal law and has written widely on these subjects. He has received numerous awards and honorary doctorates in recognition of his work. Imran Khan’s legal practice offers an approach with the idea that the firm would pursue cases – the outcomes of which lead to legal and social change. This approach is more than consistent with the aims of HINDRAF.
Suresh Grover has been active in the Civil Rights field for over 30 years, and is the Chairperson of the National Civil Rights Movement in the UK. He is also the Director of the Monitoring Group an organization that is acknowledged as the leading casework led anti racist civil rights organization in the UK. The Group works towards the eradication of racism, bigotry and religious hatred and their adverse impact on victims and their communities.
Imran and Suresh have worked together on high profile cases such as the Stephen Lawrence, Zahid Mubarek and Victoria Climbie cases that led to Public Judicial Inquiries and consequent positive changes in legislation, social policy and practices in the UK. We In Hindraf therefore are fortunate to have such a distinguished and competent legal team to lead this significant class action litigation.
Suresh spent the last two hours sharing ideas with several Malaysian Lawyers here in Malaysia. They have had an active and productive exchange of ideas on the civil suit. This is both to clarify details of impending the civil action to the Malaysian Lawyers and for the legal team leading this action in the UK to obtain legal views from the Malaysian Lawyers.
The third item is that we have planned a meeting tomorrow to clarify details of the this significant class action suit to potential class action clients and to identify claimants for the civil suit at the Hokkien Hall in Klang beginning at 9.30. We would like to invite all interested marginalized, aggrieved Indian Malaysians who want to be part of this class action suit to come forward for the said meeting.
Yesterday Imran Khan flew in to KLIA at 2.00pm. He was refused entry into the country by the Police Officials and was detained till 2.00am this morning. He has since taken a flight back to the UK. There were no official reasons given other than that “the order to refuse him came from the highest level”. We find this to be deplorable conduct by the government of Malaysia. The Government is refusing us an opportunity to meet with our Lawyers for very legitimate and lawful grounds. We wonder of there is rule of law in this country . Besides Imran is an internationally acclaimed Human Rights Lawyer who is requesting entry into the country to meet with and discuss the class action suit with his clients and for no stated reason the Government has decided not to permit him entry. Is Malaysia going down the path of Zimbabwe – a nation to be led to ruins by the destruction of civil and universal norms of governance.
This does not deter us, rather it only increases our resolve, because this act has shown us just how significant is the cause we have taken up.
Thank You
N.Ganesan
Hindraf Makkal Sakthi
National Advisor
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