M A I N   N E W S

Malaysia arrests 109 Hindu group activists

Kuala Lumpur, February 27
The Malaysian police today arrested 109 members of a group linked to a banned Hindu rights outfit of ethnic Indians for participating in an “illegal” rally in protest against the introduction of a controversial book in the senior school curriculum. Later, 101 of them were released.

Those arrested included eight women and belonged to the Human Rights Party (HRP), an offshoot of the outlawed Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).

The city police chief, Deputy Commissioner Zulkifli Abdullah, said the 109 persons were held to maintain security situation in the city. “It is regrettable but we had advised them multiple times not to go forward with it (the protest rally). It shows that they have no respect for the law,” he told reporters.

The protesters, mostly ethnic Indians, are against the introduction of Malay novel “Interlok” in senior school curriculum. A section of the minority community, including the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) — the country’s largest ethnic Indian political party — believes the book contains offensive words like “pariah” that connotes a caste system that does not exist in the country.

P Uttayakumar, a lawyer who heads the HRP, was among those arrested.

The protest came despite the government’s assurance that the book would be introduced in the curriculum only after amendments were made. Those arrested were in the 18-66 age group and included eight leaders of the group.

“All 109 are being interrogated,” Zulkifli said. Out of them, two persons were arrested for obstructing the police from performing its duties. Zulkifli said those who participated in today’s “illegal” gathering were an isolated group.

“It does not speak for the whole Indian community as we have been approached by 13 Indian NGOs supporting our stance against the illegal gatherings,” he said. The NGOs agreed that there were better ways to get their message across, he said. — PTI