P Waythamoorthy will be able to contribute a lot in a personal capacity, says the STAR chairman.
PETALING
JAYA: State Reform Party (STAR) chairman Jeffrey Kitingan today
welcomed the reported return of P Waythamoorthy, the Hindraf Makkal
Sakthi supremo, from five years of exile in London.
Jeffrey said he was looking forward to meeting the latter in Malaysia “to catch up on the last five years”.
“I am sure that he will still be able to contribute a lot in a
personal capacity even though he has decided to relinquish the
stewardship of Hindraf,” he said. “We need people like him to help
create a third force in Parliament.”
He added that Waythamoorthy was a master strategist “able to
penetrate and navigate anywhere” and would be an invaluable person in
the fight for a better Malaysia.
Jeffrey was commenting on Waythamoorthy’s statement on Tuesday that
he was ready to return to Malaysia by Nov 25, or earlier, although he
had no valid travel papers to do so.
He was speaking on the sidelines of meetings in Kuala Lumpur with
Sabahans and Sarawakians to update them on the political situation back
in their home states.
On Waythamoorthy’s passport, Jeffrey urged the Home Ministry to “let
bygones be bygones” and re-issue the Hindraf chief with a new
international passport.
“The Home Ministry should not have cancelled his passport and leave
him stranded overseas,” he said. “It was a desperate act by a desperate
government to stop him from speaking out against it in international
forums.”
He pointed out that the ploy backfired since the British government
granted him political asylum as a human rights advocate and issued him
with a UN-sanctioned travel document.
Blessing in disguise
On Waythamoorthy’s decision to hand over stewardship of Hindraf to a new leadership line-up, Jeffrey said that the move “may be a blessing in disguise”.
Blessing in disguise
On Waythamoorthy’s decision to hand over stewardship of Hindraf to a new leadership line-up, Jeffrey said that the move “may be a blessing in disguise”.
“Waythamoorthy is more than welcome to join STAR and help set up an autonomous Peninsular Malaysia chapter,” he said.
“STAR in Peninsular Malaysia will be free of political interference and control by STAR in Sabah and Sarawak.”
STAR’s stand was unlike that adopted by Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat in Sabah and Sarawak, he added.
“They are only interested in grabbing our seats in Parliament to further strengthen their political power at our expense.”
STAR deputy chairman Daniel John Jambun, who is also in Kuala Lumpur
with Jeffrey, also said Waythamoorthy’s return was a good development.
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