Waytha to make last bid for passport tomorrow

Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy will make one last attempt to apply for a Malaysian passport in Singapore on Monday in his bid to return home.

He intends to return to Malaysia on Aug 1 as planned, whether or not he is successful, said Hindraf national coordinator W Sambulingam.

This came after Waythamoorthy ( right ), who has been granted asylum in the UK, attempted to apply for his passport at the Malaysian High Commission in London on July 27, he said.

Sambulingam claimed that Deputy High Commissioner  Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah had wrote a letter dated July 24 saying that the Malaysian government “does not have any objection to his desire to return to Malaysia,” and invited him to contact the commission to facilitate the application.

However, when he showed up at the High Commission with his legal counsel, the consulate staff found that Waythamoorthy was banned from travelling anywhere in the world with a Malaysian passport.

“Upon checking with their Malaysian counterpart in Putrajaya, Waythamoorthy was informed that his was a special case where there was a need to get personal clearance from the inspector-general of police (IGP Ismail Omar).

“Their hands were tied despite the instructions they received from Putrajaya to facilitate the issue of a passport,” Sambulingam ( left ) said.

Regardless, the High Commission returned Waythamoorthy his expired passport and offered to issue him an emergency passport that would allow him to make a one-way trip back to Malaysian. The offer was turned down.

“Waythamoorthy refused this as he insists his dignity, which was robbed in 2008 (by the revocation of passport ), be reinstated and he wishes to return to Malaysia as a citizen with rights and not at the mercy of the government,” said Sambulingam.

As such, he said Waythamoorthy would arrive in Singapore tomorrow to make one final attempt to apply for his passport on the following day.

“Hindraf calls upon the IGP to lift the block and allow Waythamoorthy’s return to face any criminal charges he deems fit,” he added.