Commonwealth group calls for pardon for illegal Indians in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Jan.15 (ANI): The Commonwealth International Peace Tribunal has urged Malaysia to pardon illegal Indian nationals.

The Star and the Malaysia Nanban quoted its president Selvam Parimanan, who is visiting Malaysia, as saying that he would send a memorandum on the matter to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and meet political leaders to discuss the problem.

Parimanan, who is Commonwealth Indian Lawyers Council president, said he was told that more than 80,000 Indian nationals were working in Malaysia in various sectors, and of them, about 30 percent were working illegally.

He said most of the illegals were detained in prisons and detention camps, and added that about 180,000 Indian nationals had taken advantage of the pardon first given by the Malaysian Government in 2002. (ANI)