Hindraf supremo does not fear arrest

Athi Shankar | July 28, 2012
P Waytha Moorthy who is scheduled to return home on Aug 1 knows of the risks involved but does not fear the prospect of arrest.

GEORGE TOWN: Hindraf supremo P Waytha Moorthy does not fear arrest when he returns home to Malaysia on Aug 1 after nearly five years.

He knows that the Malaysian authorities could nab him for reasons ranging from treason, sedition or even illegal entry into the country.

“I have accomplished my set mission abroad and now want to return to the legitimate country of my citizenship. I reflected on the many possibilities of my return.

“But fear of arrest was never in my consideration,” said the London-based Hindraf chairman, who left the country on Nov 28, 2007, three days after the movement organised a mammoth rally.

In the aftermath of the rally, police detained Waytha Moorthy’s brother Uthayakumar and several others without trial under the now repealed Internal Security Act.

Waytha Moorthy, who stayed overseas since then, obtained political asylum and a five-year valid British travel document after his Malaysian passport was revoked by Putrajaya in March 2008.
The travel document was issued on Sept 8, 2008 by the British government under the Geneva Convention
Waytha Moorthy announced that he would return to Malaysia on Aug 1 after he had re-filed Hindraf’s trillion-dollar class action suit against the former colonial British government in the London Courts on July 2.
When his passport was revoked, it was learnt that Putrajaya had informed London that Waytha Moorthy was wanted for criminal charges in Malaysia.
Waytha Moorthy, however, was clueless on the charges since Putrajaya had not issued any extradition order to London on him.

Candlelight vigils
Currently Hindraf activists were holding a series of peaceful candlelight vigils urging Putrajaya to issue Waytha Moorthy a valid Malaysian passport to facilitate his smooth return home.

PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, political activist BK Ong and PSM national deputy chairman M Saraswathy had also called on the government to issue a valid passport to him.

De facto law minister Nazri Abdul Aziz once said it would be better for Waytha Moorthy not to return home due to his unconstitutional activities abroad.

Waytha Moorthy said Nazri seemed to suggest that the Federal Constitution was a “perfect document” that cultivated citizenry unity and equality.

“If the Constitution of 1957 was a perfect document, why is it the Umno government made a world record of over 500 amendments to it for the past 54 years?

“Truth is our constitution is tainted with racism. It has racial provisions that segregate and marginalise Malaysian along ethnic and religious lines,” he said.

Upon his return, he aimed to re-strategise, revitalise and rejuvenate the civil rights movement to champion the rights, benefits and interests of Indians and other minority communities.

Hindraf’s local leadership had already lined up a series of road shows themed “Let’s Meet Waytha Moorthy” across the country.

The road shows would kick start in Shah Alam’s Midlands Convention Centre at 9.30am on Aug 5, before moving to multi-purpose halls in Ipoh’s Buntong at 7.30pm on Aug 5 and Penang’s Juru at 7.45pm on Aug 11.

He would then address two indoor rallies in Sungai Petani and Kulim in Kedah on Aug 12.

But the immediate concern was Waytha Moorthy’s safe return home without any harassment, arrest or hassle when he enters Malaysia from Singapore via the Johor causeway next Wednesday.

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