Politics is taking yet another turn in Malaysia under the Pakatan Harapan regime. The Islamists defended the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), an opposition party in the Barisan Nasional, in its move to provide legal aid to those detained by police over alleged links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Islamist secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said, “PAS is of the opinion that MIC is providing legal aid to those who are suspected of supporting the LTTE is not tantamount to MIC supporting terrorism.
“For PAS, legal aid is to ensure that an arrested person is guaranteed rights in accordance with the law and the principle that a person is innocent until proven guilty.”
Police have detained several individuals, including two Democratic Action Party assemblymen who form part of the Pakatan Harapan coalition in power.
MIC is now a PAS ally, supporting the Umno-PAS Muafakat Nasional and is a BN component party with the Malaysian Chinese Association.
Meanwhile, two DAP state assemblymen and three others arrested in the anti-LTTE swoop, will be filing a challenge against their detention under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma).
Lawyer Ramkarpal Singh said he would file a ‘habeas corpus’ application at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex today on behalf of Seremban Jaya assemblyperson P Gunasekaran, Gadek assemblyperson G Saminathan, and three others.
He spoke to Malaysiakini on Sunday.
On the other hand, a report said former PM Najib Abdul Razak’s government contributed US$1 million to Sri Lankan Tamils in 2012 for relief as a result of their displacement.
The report says Lim Kit Siang, a DAP veteran politician, had said that the contribution could be construed as support for the Tamil Tigers.
The Najib administration, through MIC, donated the sum to the Malaysian Tamil Forum in Malaysia and the money was used to assist Tamils in Sri Lanka affected by the war.
A Facebook Page calling itself ‘Pusat Kajian Ancaman Pengganas dan Misionari di Malaysia’ posted a series of videos and photographs showing DAP leaders allegedly giving support to the LTTE. -/TISG