PAK AMIN: Five Hindraf leaders detained under ISA

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Five Hindraf leaders detained under ISA

The Star

From left: R Kengadharan, P Uthayakumar, K Vasantha Kumar, V Ganabatirau dan M Manoharan.

PETALING JAYA: Five Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders have been arrested and detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

The five are P. Uthayakumar, M. Manoharan, R. Kenghadharan, V. Ganabatirau and T. Vasanthakumar. They were picked up at various locations in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Seremban.

It is learnt they were detained under Section 8 (1) of the ISA after Internal Security Minister Datuk Seri Abdulah Ahmad Badawi signed their detention order. Their detention is for two years. Uthayakumar and two others namely Ganabatirau and P. Waythamoorthy were charged under the Sedition Act on Nov 23 in Klang 23 for allegedly making speeches to incite hatred at a gathering in Batang Berjuntai, Selangor, on Nov 16. Waythamoorthy is currently overseas.

Under Section 73 (1) of the ISA, the police can detain any individual for up to 60 days without a warrant, trial and without access to legal counsel if he was suspected to have “acted or is about to act or is likely to act in any manner prejudicial to the security of Malaysia or any part thereof or to maintenance of essential services therein or to the economic life thereof."

After 60 days, the Minister of Home Affairs can extend the period of detention without trial for up to two years, without submitting any evidence for review by the courts, by issuing a detention order, which is renewable indefinitely.

The five detained

1) P. Uthayakumar - The 46-year-old lawyer was called to the Malaysian Bar on Jan 23, 1993. He is the legal advisor to the Police Watch and Human Rights Committee and advisor to the Malaysian People's Reform Party (Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia or PRIM). He had been a secretary of the MIC Club in London and has appeared in a number of cases related to police abuse, deaths in police custody, police shootings and police inaction. He had also taken part in the reformasi campaigns in support of sacked Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

2) M. Manoharan - The 46-year-old Manoharan has been a lawyer for 15 years and was a legal assistant to Karpal Singh for 10 years before branching out on his own. He has been in the DAP and had contested in a parliamentary seat in Federal Territory and was also the Selangor DAP chairman for a short term.

3) V. Ganabatirau - Advisor to the DAP's Sri Muda branch in Shah Alam.

4) R. Kenghadharan - He is a lawyer and was one of the counsels for Uthayakumar when the latter was charged in court for publishing a seditious letter in a website.

5) T. Vasanthakumar - The former bank officer resigned about a month ago after his employers asked about his involvement with Hindraf. He is in his 30s and single. He is now a full-time Hindraf activist and its organising secretary.

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MISI NASIONAL

Misi Nasional yang dirangka merangkumi lima teras utama: Teras Pertama: Meningkatkan nilai tambah dalam ekonomi negara. Melalui teras ini, Kerajaan mensasarkan untuk meningkatkan nilai tambah sektor ekonomi sedia ada, serta mewujudkan aktiviti berasaskan pengetahuan dan peluang pekerjaan dalam bidang ICT, bioteknologi, nanoteknologi dan perkhidmatan. Di samping itu, Kerajaan akan turut mewujudkan persekitaran kondusif bagi sektor swasta menerajui pembangunan ekonomi negara. Teras Kedua: Meningkatkan keupayaan pengetahuan, kreativiti dan inovasi negara serta memupuk ‘minda kelas pertama’. Kejayaan masa hadapan bergantung kepada mutu modal insan yang dimiliki, bukan sahaja dari segi intelek tetapi juga keperibadian. Sejajar dengan teras ini, Kerajaan akan melaksanakan usaha penambahbaikan sistem pendidikan negara secara menyeluruh, dari peringkat pra-sekolah hinggalah ke peringkat tinggi dan vokasional. Persekitaran yang menggalakkan akan diwujudkan untuk menjana lebih banyak usaha penyelidikan dan pembangunan (R&D). Pada masa yang sama, penekanan akan diberi kepada usaha memupuk masyarakat berbudaya dan memiliki kekuatan moral. Teras Ketiga: Menangani masalah ketidaksamaan sosioekonomi secara membina dan produktif. Kerajaan mendokong matlamat untuk membasmi kemiskinan, menjana pembangunan lebih seimbang, serta memastikan manfaat pembangunan dinikmati rakyat secara adil dan saksama. Teras keempat: Meningkatkan tahap dan kemampanan kualiti hidup. Kerajaan akan terus menyediakan keperluan asas seperti air, tenaga, perumahan, pengangkutan dan kemudahan lain, namun penekanan harus diberikan kepada usaha menangani isu-isu berhubung penyenggaraan, penaiktarafan dan keberkesanan penggunaan sumber. Teras kelima: Mengukuhkan keupayaan institusi dan pelaksanaan negara. Kejayaan perancangan terletak pada keupayaan untuk melaksana. Untuk itu, Kerajaan komited menambahbaik sistem penyampaian perkhidmatan awam di semua peringkat. Di samping itu, Kerajaan juga akan menangani isu-isu berhubung rasuah dan integriti di dalam sektor awam dan swasta, mahupun di kalangan masyarakat umum. (PETIKAN UCAPAN PERDANA MENTERI YAB DATO’ SERI ABDULLAH AHMAD BADAWI SEMASA MEMBENTANGKAN USUL MENGENAI RANCANGAN MALAYSIA KESEMBILAN, 2006-2010 DI DEWAN RAKYAT PADA 31 MAC 2006)

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