The Advisory Board on Internal Security Act (ISA) detentions should take into account P Uthayakumar’s admission that he was “solely responsible” for the Hindu Rights Action Force rally in Kuala Lumpur.

karpal singh police report tun mahathir 230508 DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh said the board, which will meet on Friday, should act on this in arriving at their recommendations.

Uthayakumar, a legal advisor to the now-banned Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), has written to the board reiterating his admission , first made on Dec 13, and seeking the release of three other lawyers detained with him.

Supporting his call, Karpal noted in a statement today: “Due to Uthayakumar’s admission, which concession should be commended, the board should forthwith submit to the Home Ministry a report recommending the release of the trio.”

He said the recent release of the several ISA detainees showed that the time has come to follow suit with “not only the release of Hindraf 5 but also others incarcerated in Kamunting for years, including one detainee for seven years”.

“The country cannot afford the blot of national and international infamy caused by continued perpetuation of the ISA.”

parliament and anti isa internal security act He also called on the Barisan Nasional federal government to learn from the harsh lessons of the March general election, saying that hatred of the ISA was among reasons for the ruling coalition’s massive losses.

“Pakatan Rakyat’s unprecedented electoral gains in a way reflected the national revulsion against the draconian security law,” said Karpal, the two-term Bukit Gelugor MP.

He was legal counsel for the Hindraf leaders in their habeas corpus application to nullify their detention without trial since Dec 13 last year.

Powers of board

Uthayakumar, who turned 48 last month, has asked the board to immediately recommend the release of M Manoharan, 47, R Kenghadharan, 41, and V Ganabatirau, 35.

hindraf isa detainees 290808 In his letter, he said the trio had only acted as legal advisors to Hindraf, and not as leaders of the movement as alleged by the government.

The board is empowered under Section 13(2) of the ISA to make recommendations to Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar to release the trio from the Kamunting Detention Camp in Taiping, Perak.

It is learnt that Uthayakumar did not mention Hindraf organising secretary T Vasanthakumar in his letter.

Exiled Hindraf leader P Waythamoorthy had once described him as “an agent planted by the police special branch to disintegrate the human rights movement”.

Vasanthakumar’s rapid isolation was obvious when hardcore Hindraf supporters did not display his portrait on banners at their first-anniversary gathering.

Waythamoorthy is living in London on a temporary political asylum granted by the British government under the Geneva Convention.