Kuala Lumpur: The five ethnic Indian activists, detained since December last under a draconian security law will have to serve their two-year prison term as Malaysia's King rejected their appeal for release.
A letter sent to a lawyer of one of the five activists of Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) said the Prime Minister's Advisory Board had forwarded its recommendation to the King who issued the order on March 26, according to local media.
The order came following an appeal by the detained activists for review of their detention.
The five leaders were detained for organising an illegal rally on November 25 last year to protest against alleged marginalisation of Indians in the country. More than 20,000 ethnic Indians attended the rally.
The King's decision conveyed in a letter dated April 16 to a lawyer of one of the detained Hindraf leaders by the Home Ministry's Security and Public Order Division officer Mohamad Irza Dahari, Hindraf lawyer Karpal Singh said in a statement on Wednesday.
"The other detainees, have received similar letters," he said.
The five detainees are lawyers Uthayakumar Ponnusamy (46), Manoharan Malayalam(46) and Kengadharan Ramasamy(40), V Ganabatirau and ex-bank executive Vasantha Kumar Krishnan(34).
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) has asked the government to explain how the five Hindraf activists posed a threat to the country's security.
Party's youth wing chief SA Vigneswaran said the detained Hindraf leaders should be released.
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