An Indian researcher studying the Malaysian Indian community, particularly in the plantation estates, has been denied an entry visa to return to Malaysia by the consulate in New Delhi.

Mahalingam Marimithu (right) was due to arrive in Kuala Lumpur today to attend a public consultation conference on Contemporary Malaysian Indians organised in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, from June 24 to 25.

Mahalingam, a research fellow at the Center of Policy Analysis, New Delhi, was invited by Denison Jayasoria, Principal Research Fellow and Research Head of the Institute of Ethnic Studies (Kita), UKM.

When contacted, Mahalingam said he never had problems when he tried to enter Malaysia in the past.

"I am still clueless as to whether the authorities found any problems in my submitted documents or if there was any political reasons for rejecting my visa application," he said in an email to Malaysiakini.

Mahalingam was attached to UKM for several months in 2012 to conduct his field work for his PhD dissertation.     

According to Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy (left) , who is familiar with Mahaligam’s work, the Indian scholar had visited many places in the country, including Penang, to ascertain the situation of the Indian diaspora here.

His PhD in social anthropology was completed at the Jawarhalal Nehru University New Delhi under the supervision of RK Jain, the author of a prominent book on Malaysia published in the 1960's,  ‘South Indians on the Plantation Frontier’.

‘Not a controversial figure’

“Mahalingam is not a controversial person or one who has criticised the Malaysian government in the past,” he said, questioning the high consultate’s decision to not grant a visa to the academic.

 

“If this is the attitude of the Malaysian government, then we can understand why Malaysian universities are not up to the mark,” he said.

He noted that Malaysian universities did not even make it to the list of top 100 universities in Asia according to the latest Times Higher Education ranking, unlike Singapore and Thailand.

Singapore’s National University Singapore ranked second in Asia, behind Tokyo University.