Seeking protection from any police violence, a five-year-old ethnic-Indian girl has urged the Penang Chief Minister to accompany her to Malaysian Parliament when she visits it on Saturday to request Premier Abdullah Badawi to free the detained activists complaining of racial inequality.
Vwaishhnnavi, daughter of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) Chief Wayathamoorthy, handed over a letter to the Chief Minister of Penang State, Tsu Koon, appealing him to accompany her and her friends to the Parliament House here on February 16.
She plans to present Abdullah with roses and a letter requesting him to free her "five uncles", members of Hindraf who were detained under the draconian Internal Security Act after they organised a rally of over 20,000 ethnic Indians against the alleged marginalisation of the community.
"My daughter just wants protection from any police violence which she fears could happen when she marches to Parliament," Wayathamoorthy's wife Eshwari said.
Asked why the march was being conducted on Saturday when Parliament would be closed, Eshwari said it was a holiday and all supporters would be able to accompany her daughter to Parliament where the girl had asked Abdullah to come to receive the flowers.
Early this month, Vwaishhnnavi urged the Malaysian Human Rights Commission chief to accompany her to Parliament to "make her feel safe" when she hands over flowers to Abdullah.
On January 22 also, Vwaishhnnavi had handed over a letter to premier Abdullah urging him to free her "five uncles" who have been detained. Her father is currently on a self-imposed exile to London.
"The child feels that the presence of the human rights chief Abu Talib Othman will provide a measure of protection to the children and others who want to appeal for justice," Hindraf legal adviser Surendran said.
Hindraf had called for a massive rally of ethnic Indians on November 25 last year to protest against alleged marginalisation of the community in this country. The protest took the people and the government by surprise.
The government has denied all allegations of marginalisation and promised to look into the grievances of Indians seriously.
