Hindraf wants king to intervene

It also wants to have an audience with the Yang diPertuan Agong to highlight the plight of the marginalised Indian poor.

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KUALA LUMPUR: Hindraf Makkal Sakthi (HMS) – the non-political outfit of Human Rights Party (HRP) – wants the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to intervene so that it would be given recognition by the government.

“We want the king to intervene by advising the Umno-BN government to give us the formal regognition to represent the poor marginalised Indians,” said HMS national adviser, N Ganesan.

Ganesan led a delegation of seven HMS members, including HRP president and HMS national coordinator W Sambulingam, to hand over a memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah at the Istana Negara here this morning.

This is because HMS has yet to obtain recognition to legally operate as a non-governmental organisation.

Similarly, HRP has not been recognised as a legitimate political organisation.

The group is also seeking an audience with the king so that it would be able to highlight the plight of the poor, marginalised Indians in Malaysia.

The group arrived at Istana Negara at 11am and met ASP Shaharuddin Yusof who then contacted the personal aide to the king’s senior private secretary, identified only as Zainab.

Zainab met the delegation at the guard post of the palace.

“The king’s senior private secretary (identified as Hilmi) is willing to accept your memorandum.

“However, he is not in Kuala Lumpur now and the king too is not here today,” said Zainab when she accepted the memorandum from Ganesan.

Proactive role

Ganesan later congratulated the king who wanted to play a proactive role in the development of the country.

He quoted the king’s speech delivered in December last year: “The ruler is the umbrella over the people and the people are the pillars of the king. The king’s greatest role is to ensure there will be no cruelty, and destruction to the people and the country.”

Ganesan is also confident that his delegation would be given a royal audience soon.

He said that the king’s speech is significant since the ruler also wants to play the role of an arbitrator for the people.

“He has the wisdom that is sorely lacking among politicians, ” said Ganesan.

When asked HMS’ next plan if it fails to get an audience and recognition, he said that the group would continue raising the plight of the Indian poor.