Although barred from entering the country, the Hindraf leader P Waythamoorthy will be back in Malaysia on August 1.
PETALING
JAYA: Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy, who is scheduled to return to
Malaysia in August, is prepared to face any eventuality as a result of
his decision.
Waythamoorthy, who has been living in exile in England since 2008,
was one of the main leaders of the November 25, 2007 Hindraf rally which
fueled the subsequent political tsunami that saw ruling Barisan
Nasional lose five states to the opposition.
He left Malaysia to avoid a possible arrest under the Internal
Security Act (ISA). Prior to November 2007, he had already been arrested
twice, one of which was for sedition.
Hindraf advisor N.Ganesan, who revealed Waythamoorthy’s plans to
return on August 1, said that even if Waythamoorthy was detained
immediately on his return, the organisation was prepared to deal with
the consequence.
“He is returning because this is his country and he has achieved a
certain mile-stone with the civil suit (against the British
government…that is why he is returning now,” Ganesan told reporters at a
press conference today.
The group is anticipating trouble as Waythamoorthy’s international
passport was cancelled by the Malaysian government on April 21, 2008
just as he flew to London from Geneva where he briefed the UN Human
Rights Commissioner on Malaysia.
After some glitches at the London airport, he now travels on a United
Nations-sanctioned travel document issued by the British government.
The document gives him the right to travel to any country in the world, except Malaysia.
Case to be filed in July
Ganesan,
who is in daily contact with Waythamoorthy, also said today that
Hindraf’s lawsuit against the British government will be re-filed in
United Kingdom courts on July 2.
The civil suit for reparations against the Queen of England on behalf
of the descendants of the Malaysian Indenture Labour community was
first filed on August 2007.
However this suit lapsed as it could not be pursued due to the rally and the limited resources.
Ganesan said today that Waythamoorthy has been doing much research
while abroad and Hindraf was now more equiped to challenge the British
government.
He added that Imran Khan and partners, who have won several landmark
racial profiling cases in the UK will be the solicitors of the case.
“(The British government) left these indenture labourers as scrap
when they left the country. And we believe the story cannot end there
until the picture is completed out with due recognition of and for the
significant contributions of the indentured Indian labourers,
“This is our case and we will establish it in the courts in the
United Kingdom. We are doing what we said we will do and what we are
saying now, we will do,” said Ganesan.
‘Waytha will unite fractions’
‘Waytha will unite fractions’
The civil suit demands RM1 million in compensation for each Indian in Malaysia.
Ganesan today said that he was confident that the many fractions that
have churned out from the original Hindraf movement will unite together
after Waythamoorthy’s return.
As for pro-BN, Malaysian Makkal Sakthi Party (MSSP), Ganesan said
that the leaders were “renegades” and that the people they lead have
been mislead.
He however voiced confidence that MSSP supporters too will lend support to Hindraf’s original struggle.
Waythamoorthy’s brother, P Uthayakumar was notably missing at today’s
press conference. Ganesan said that he had prior engagements.
When asked if Uthayakumar’s Human Rights Party will support this
endeavour, Ganesan said: “HRP is Hindraf’s political wing. Of course
they will support us”.
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