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Discharge of ethnic Indians to be “revised”

SINGAPORE: The Malaysian authorities on Wednesday sought a “revision” of the “discharge” of three leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) under the Sedition Act, even as the government came under fire for using force to quell the protest by ethnic Indians in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

The rally was organised by the HINDRAF to raise international awareness about the “marginalisation” of ethnic Indians in Malaysia and to demand “equal rights” for them in their country. Police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse the protesters, variously estimated to have numbered between 5,000 and 10,000. Officials later said that over 130 were arrested.

Nearly two million ethnic Indians make up about eight per cent of Malaysia’s population. New Delhi regards the Malaysian Indians as the largest single group of people of Indian origin overseas.

A sessions court had on Monday ordered the “discharge” of HINDRAF leaders — P. Uthaya Kumar, P. Waytha Moorty, and V. Ganapati Rao — on the ground that the charges against them under the Sedition Act were not very clear. Another reason cited for “the discharge, not amounting to an acquittal,” was that no transcript of their alleged seditious remarks in Tamil was made available to the court. The three were accused of having uttered those remarks at a restaurant on November 16.

The Attorney-General’s application for a “revision” is expected to be taken up next week.

In another development, 80 Malaysian Indians were charged in court for having participated in Sunday’s rally, which was banned in a pre-emptive judicial order. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge of participating in an illegal rally.

Punctuating these post-rally developments, the Malaysian Bar Council expressed “concern” over “the unnecessary use of force, tear gas, and water cannon, all against persons whose intent was peaceful.” Noting that the police action only served to “muzzle voices that must be heard,” the Malaysian Bar President, Ambiga Sreenevasan, said “there is clearly a group of Malaysians, who feel marginalised, frustrated, and helpless.” Their “grouses are real” to the entire Malaysian society.

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