[via malaysiakini.com]
Andrew Ong | Jul 12, 08 7:00pm

The legal firm of Hindu Rights Action Force’s (Hindraf) most recognisable face, P Uthayakumar, has finally been shut down due to financial constraint.

Uthayakumar’s office suite in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur was once the hotbed of Hindraf activities, especially in the build up to the movement’s mass rally held in November last year.

His sister Waytha Nagayi (right in photo) said that the closure of his office was a sentimental occasion to a lot of Hindraf supporters.

“This is where it all started,” Waytha Nagayi told Malaysiakini as she was busy packing Uthayakumar’s belongings into boxes.

“This (shutting down the legal firm) doesn’t mean that Hindraf and its struggle is no more. Once he is released, people will see him back in full force,” said Waytha Nagayi.

Over the past 12 years, Uthayakumar had made his name by taking up numerous cases against police abuse, Hindu temple demolitions and death in custody - cases which he felt was the result of government neglect towards the Indian community.

Not taking money

Eventually, Uthayakumar became Hindraf’s legal advisor. On Dec 13 last year, he was incarcerated without trial under the Internal Security Act along with four other Hindraf comrades.

The five are currently serving their two-year detention orders in the Kamunting Detention Centre. The other four are T Vasanthakumar, M Manoharan, V Ganabatirau and R Kengadharan.

They had appealed against their detention orders all the way to the Federal Court but failed to overturn the decision.

When Malaysiakini visited the office this evening, almost a dozen helpers were seen taking down shelves as well as removing office equipment and furniture out of the small office suite.

Waytha Nagayi said that there had been offers by certain individuals to finance the legal firm until Uthayakumar can resume operations.

“But he specifically told us (during a visit to the detention centre) that we should close down the office as public funds should go to the public and not for personal use,” she said.

Spends time reading

Uthayakumar’s sister-in-law K Shanti, who was also clearing up the office today, said that the former was in “good spirits” despite developing health issues after being detained.

She said that Uthayakumar now spends a lot of time reading on world leaders such as Lee Kuan Yew and Nelson Mandela, with a particular interest in famous freedom fighters.

“He has a lot of time to think and he always comes up with ideas on issues which Hindraf can articulate. A lot of these issues are discussed in articles found on our website,” she said.

Currently, Hindraf is headed by its leader in exile P Waytha Moorthy who is Uthayakumar’s younger brother. Waytha Moorthy has sought political asylum in England after the Malaysian government revoked his passport.

The movement began an aggressive campaign over the past two years charging the government of neglect and marginalisation of the Indian community.

Their efforts culminated in a mass rally which drew tens of thousands of Indians to demonstrate in Kuala Lumpur in November last year and an erosion of the Indian community’s support for Barisan Nasional.