Hindraf leader's mom says release of son best Mother's Day gift

Taiping, May 10 (ANI): R. Manomani, who has been crying and praying for the release of her son K. Vasanthakumar held by the Malaysian authorities under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for the last 514 days, is perhaps the happiest mother this Mother's Day."I have prayed each day for his release and I thank God that he is really coming out," Manomani said, this time breaking into tears of relief and joy.

Despite suffering from flu, Manomani travelled all the way from Sungai Petani in Kedah to the Kamunting Detention Camp on Saturday to await her son's release, The Star reports.

She had to wait over three hours under the blazing sun before Vasanthakumar finally came out and even then, the two only had seconds together before Vasanthakumar was whisked away in an unmarked car.

"I had to come, although I caught only a glimpse of him," she said, adding that she had actually been told the night before that Vasanthakumar would be taken directly from the camp to his house in Kajang by the authorities.

Manomani said since Vasanthakumar's arrest on Dec 13, 2007, she had visited him in Kamunting numerous times but "nothing beats seeing him as a free man."

In Kuala Lumpur, Vasanthakumar arrived at his home in Taman Cheras Prima in the evening to shouts of Makkal Sakti after spending a year-and-a-half in Kamunting and alighted from his car with a cane.

Thanking Malaysians and Hindraf members for their support and efforts, Vasanthakumar said he would call for a press conference soon. (ANI)