HRP seeks UN help for top Indian students

The Human Rights Party (HRP) has appealed to the United Nations to intervene in the Malaysian government's denial of scholarships and study loans for top Indian students, as well as places for them in university and matriculation courses.

In a memorandum addressed to the UN, HRP called on the body to despatch a fact-finding mission to investigate the matter, which the party described as "akin to apartheid".

HRP information chief S Jayathas described the memorandum to the UN as the "last resort", following the party's unsuccessful attempts to seek intervention from the prime minister and the King.

"We have no other avenue as we have exhausted all political and legal options," Jayathas (right) said.

He also said that many people have promised the HRP help on this issue, but he described them to be the cakap tak serupa bikin type.

United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) representative Hans Olsen received the memorandum on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representative, Kamal Malhotra, who was predisposed.

"I will take it (the memorandum) to Kamal and he will decide what we (the UN) can do," Olsen said.

Among others, Jayathas had previously submitted memoranda to the prime minister as well as to the Yang diPertuan Agong, and has also made 31 police reports against the federal government.

Riot police present

He was accompanied by HRP adviser Pathmarajah Nagalingam, central working committee member Jeevindra Kumar Krishnan and six party members.

Around 20 riot police personnel were gathered outside the UN headquarters, but no untoward incident was reported.

The HRP has been championing the cause of an estimated 2,237high achieving but financially constrained Indian students in the country who have been denied opportunities for tertiary education.

The party tried to submit a memorandum to the King at his palace recently, in which it sought the establishment of a royal commission of inquiry to address the issue.

In the memorandum, HRP also called for a UN official to head the selection committee for the allocation of Public Service Department scholarships as well as matriculation and university placements for the next five years.

courtesy of Malaysiakini