"My passport was revoked" -- Waytha

My passport was revoked, insists Hindraf leader

2008/05/19

KUALA LUMPUR: Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P. Waytha Moorthy is still claiming that his Malaysian passport has been revoked despite the government stating otherwise. He also claimed Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar's statement that it was a "misunderstanding" and that Waytha Moorthy's passport had expired was meant to mislead the public.

In a press statement yesterday, Waytha Moorthy said his passport was valid till 2010.

"I am holding a Malaysian passport which is valid until 2010. But the fact remains that the Malaysian government has revoked my passport," he said.

The "misunderstanding" followed a report on Saturday quoting Amnesty International's Washington-based Asia-Pacific advocacy director T. Kumar, who said Waytha Moorthy had to put off talks with leaders of the Congress and Amnesty in Washington because his passport had been cancelled.

Waytha Moorthy was only aware his passport was revoked when he returned to London from Geneva after talks recently with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

"The British Immigration authorities at Gatwick Airport (on April 21) told me my passport was cancelled," said Watha Moorthy, who has been living in the United Kingdom since December.

He said he was given leave to enter and remain in the United Kingdom for six months on April 2 upon his return from India.

"It is a known fact that no country would admit a person into its territory without a six-month validity period on the passport. For that matter, Switzerland would not have admitted me into their country on April 17. Nor would any airline allow me to board the flight without the six-month validity period," he said.

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