Home Ministry rejects HRP’s registration

The Human Rights Party (HRP) will file its third application for judicial review within 40 days following yet another rejection by the authorities.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry today rejected the Human Rights Party’s (HRP) application to be registered as a political entity, more than a month after the KL High Court ordered the ministry to decide on the matter.

Last August, the Registrar of Societies (ROS) rejected HRP’s application, which was submitted in November 2010, on the grounds that the application was not in order and that the party’s constitution did not meet its requirements.

HRP objected to both these claims and took the matter to court. In objecting to ROS’s rejection, the party said that its constitution was 99% similar to the “tried-and-tested constitution” of the 46-year-old DAP and that ROS had refused to state exactly what needed to be corrected in their application.

In a press statement released today HRP pro-tem secretary-general, P Uthayakumar, described the Home Ministry’s decision to reject their application as “historic”.

He said HRP is the country’s first political party to have been rejected. He also accused the government of being politically motivated in reaching this decision.

“This male-fide decision is aimed at stopping HRP from championing equal rights and opportunities especially for the Indian poor, and from contesting in the 13th general election.

“The decision is also in retaliation against (Hindu Rights Action Force) Hindraf for smashing a watermelon at the doorsteps of Putrajaya last week in a mockery of Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak’s ‘nambikei’, he said alluding to the party’s action’s last week.

On March 25, Hindraf smashed a watermelon with the words ‘nambikei’ written on it during a protest at the Prime Minister’s Office to emphasis how the government had broken the Indian community’s trust.

Uthayakumar pointed out that HRP has been awaiting registration for 13 years since it first applied for the registration of Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia (the predecessor of HRP) in 2000.

But he added that this latest setback would not stop them from filing its third application for a judicial review within 40 days.

“It’s not so much a matter of belief that justice will be served by the 1Malaysia judiciary but more of a matter of principle,” Uthayakumar said.

“A total of 46,871 NGOs – the latest being Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah) – have been registered with ease. Only Hindraf and HRP have been rejected. Does the government fear the resurgence of Hindraf?” he questioned.