DAP  has told Hindraf  chairperson-in-exile P Waythamoorthy to return to Malaysian soil to contest his RM100 million defamation suit against 10 defendants.

corpse snatching general hospital case 301106 a sivanesan National labour bureau chief A Sivanesan (right) told Malaysiakini today that if Waythamoorthy “had the guts to file the suit” then he should “also have the guts to return to Malaysia to face our cross-examination in court”.

“We are ready to face his challenge of a lawsuit in the High Court but we have to cross-examine him as the litigant-plaintiff in this case,” said Sivanesan who is also Sungkai assemblyperson.

He said that, if Waythamoorthy is Hindraf leader as claimed, then he should stand on Malaysian soil and fight side-by-side with the Indian community, “instead of hiding in London and issuing press statements”.

“Where was he when the Hindraf supporters needed him the most during the November (2007) rally which changed the political landscape of Malaysia?” asked Sivanesan.

NONE On Dec 31 last year, Waythamoorthy (left) had, through his brother Uthayakumar, filed the suit at the Kuala Lumpur High Court against six news organisations that carried statements of four individuals who had alleged that he misappropriated public donations meant for Hindraf.

The four are Penang deputy chief minister (II) P Ramasamy, Sivanesan and two former ISA detainees V Ganabatirau and K Vasanthakumar.

The six news organisations are English-language daily Star , online news portals Malaysiakini and Malaysian Insider , and three Tamil dailies Makkal Osai, Tamil Nesan and Malaysia Nanban .

Both Ramasamy and Sivanesan are prominent DAP leaders who were formerly vocal supporters of Hindraf.