Uthaya a step closer to appeal

After prolonged delays Uthayakumar's legal team has successfully pushed for a High Court judge to manage his appeal case.

KUALA LUMPUR: Convicted Human Rights Party pro-tem secretary-general P Uthayakumar is now a step closer to appealing his 30-month prison term, following his legal team’s success in obtaining a High Court judge to manage the case.

Over the past five months, Uthayakumar was unable to proceed with an appeal against his sedition conviction due to the absence of judgment grounds yet to be prepared by Sessions Court judge Ahmad Zamzani Mohd Zain who convicted him.

As Ahmad Zamzani again failed to submit his written grounds today, Uthayakumar’s lawyer Avtar Singh Dhaliwal has requested for the case management to be conducted by a High Court judge, instead of a deputy registrar.

The deputy registrar agreed and fixed Dec 9 for the next case management before judge Azman Husin.

When met outside the court room, Avtar said that the development is a positive step forward.

He said he would address the judge regarding the hindrances they as a legal team were facing in their efforts to progress with this appeal case.

Uthayakumar, brought in from Kajang prison made a brief appearance in the court room looking weary and grey haired.

He led about 20 supporters who were in attendance at the court room to chants of “Long live Hindraf!” before he was led away by prison officials.

Uthayakumar was convicted for writing an open letter to the then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown highlighting the alleged systematic marginalisation of the Indian community by the Malaysia government on June 5.

His estranged brother, P Waythamoorthy, was ironically sworn-in as a deputy minister in the BN cabinet, on the same day of his conviction.