Malaysian court rejects bid to free Hindu activists

Wed, May 14 11:51 AM

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's highest court rejected on Wednesday a petition to free five Hindu rights activists who led a big anti-government protest last year, their lawyer said.

The government arrested the activists under a colonial-era internal security law in December, a month after more than 10,000 ethnic Indians protested in the capital accusing the government of racial discrimination.

"The Federal Court agreed with the High Court that there was no defect in the procedures adopted," their lawyer, Karpal Singh, said by telephone.

He said he would ask the Federal Court to review its ruling.

The men have not yet been charged.

One of the activists, lawyer M. Manoharan, was nominated as a candidate by an opposition party in landmark elections in March and, though locked up throughout the election campaign, won his seat with a convincing majority.

The five belonged to what they called the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) which has been campaigning for greater educational and job opportunities for Indians.

Ethnic Indians make up 7 percent of Malaysia's 26 million population.

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