SOS call from 5 Indians in Malaysia prison

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on October 7, 2011:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/sos-call-from-5-in-malaysia-prison/320775.html

CHENNAI: Five Indian labourers, who have completed their mandatory prison sentences for visa-related issues and are still being held at the Tanah Merah Labour Detention Camp, Kelantan (Kuala Lumpur), for more than a year, have launched an indefinite hunger strike seeking the Indian High Commission’s immediate intervention to return home.

As per sources, of the five who are now on hunger strike at the camp, three men are from Tamil Nadu and two from Punjab.

They were identified as Adaikan (Pudukottai), Gopalasamy (Mannargudi) and Pandian (Mannargudi) from TN and Bentu Singh (Nawa Sahar) and Kulwinder Singh (Moga), both from Punjab.

Speaking to Express from Kuala Lumpur, T Kamalanathan, a social activist, said, “These five Indians have already completed their prison sentences and are desperately waiting for the High Commission’s nod to return to India for over a year.”

“I do not understand why the IHC in Kuala Lumpur is delaying the process, which could be completed within days,” said Kamalanathan.

The delay shows the lethargic attitude of the High Commission in dealing with the Indian labourers in Malaysia, he added. All these men were picked up by police for visa-related issues several months ago and lodged at the Tanah Merah Camp, which is used as immigration detention camp for Indians. On their completion of prison sentences, it is the mandatory duty of the IHC to send them back to India by issuing out pass and Emergency Certificate.

“Despite completing their sentences for various passport-related issues in Malaysia, more than 500 such Indian prisoners are still languishing in different camps, and the IHC officials in Kuala Lumpur never bothered to send them back in India,” complained Kamalanathan.

Despite repeated attempts, Indian High Commission officials in Kuala Lumpur were not available for comment.

While the striking Indians set a deadline of two weeks for the IHC, Kamalanathan in a letter appealed for a decision without any delay.