LTTE 12: Running low on options, families urge public to back signature drive

The families of the 12 on trial for alleged links to the defunct Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have called for more public support for their plight.

At a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today, they hoped to hit one million signatures for their petition calling for Putrajaya to amend draconian laws and stop classifying LTTE as a terrorist group.

M Tamilmalar admitted she was running out of ideas to help her husband, A Kalaimughilan, who is one of the 12.

“We don’t know how we can help further [...] we don't know what other things we can do for their release but we are trying our best.

“Everyone knows this is a political game so that is why we want to show the public’s support (for them) to the government [...],” she said while seated amongst the kin of the other accused persons.

Similarly, G Nancy said she was willing to try all possible methods like the petition to assist her father P Gunasekaran, who is Seremban Jaya assemblyperson.

“We are hopeless about the deep state (involvement), we don’t know what to do,” she said.

Aside from Gunasekaran, a second DAP lawmaker, Gadek assemblyperson G Saminathan, is also facing trial over terrorism charges.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng previously alleged that the ruling party had been unfairly targeted by opposition forces within the government over the LTTE arrests and charges.

Roadshow planned for petition

The petition in question calls upon the Pakatan Harapan government to remove draconian elements of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).

The controversial law was used to detain the 12 without trial last October. Lawyers have lamented how using Sosma has largely disqualified the accused from bail, causing them to have to remain in jail throughout their trial.

The petition also calls for LTTE to be removed from the blacklist under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (Amla) seeing as the group ceased operations in its home, Sri Lanka, in 2009.

So far, the families, along with NGO Persatuan Generasi Baru Tamil Malaysia, have gathered some 48,660 in-person signatures after taking the petition to Batu Caves, Penang, Sungai Siput, Seremban, Johor and Batu Berendam.

They will head to Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur on Feb 22 and Rawang, Selangor the next day to garner more signatures.

The online version of the petition shows 1,218 signatures at publication time.

They plan to submit their demands to the Home Affairs Ministry, Attorney-General’s Chambers, Parliament and United Nations Malaysia.  - Mkini