Malaysian court rejects HINDRAF leader's plea to drop sedition charge

Kuala Lumpur, May 1 (ANI): A Malaysian Sessions Court has dismissed Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) legal adviser P. Uthayakumar's application to drop the sedition charge against him.

Judge Sabariah Othman ruled that counsel M. Manogaran's contention that personal elements were influencing the charge was baseless.

"It is a serious allegation to say that the attorney-general had personal malice against the accused. The consent to prosecute him was made in an orderly manner by the A-G," the New Strait Times quoted Judge Othman, as saying.

On December 11, 2007, Uthayakumar was charged with publishing seditious material in a letter written between November 15 and December 8 that year and posted on the Police Watch website.

Earlier Uthayakumar's other counsel, N. Surendran, told the court that the accused, who is being detained at Kamunting detention centre under the Internal Security Act, had refused to attend proceedings because of the police's previous treatment of him.

Sabariah ruled that his presence could be exempted as the proceedings were to rule on his oral application. (ANI)