The thousands expected at the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) rally on Sunday may be forced to assemble illegally at the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur after police rejected an application for a permit yesterday.

The rejection letter, signed by Cheras police chief Ahmad Amir Mohd Hashim, explained that the application had been made by an individual, rather than by the organisation.

Under Section 27 of the Police Act 1967, any application for a permit to assemble in a public place must made by an organisation or jointly by three individuals.

The police stated their doubt as to whether the applicant would be able to control the crowd, and claimed that the gathering could disrupt traffic as well as law and order.

In an immediate response, Hindraf legal advisor P Uthayakumar described the reason cited by the police was very "flimsy", explaining that the organisation is a coalition of NGOs and not a registered body in its own right.

Hindraf's application for registration is pending with the Registrar of Society.

Uthayakumar also argued that the duty to control traffic and to ensure law and order lies with the police, not Hindraf.

"In fact we have told the police that we will have 100 people helping to organise this peaceful assembly," he told Malaysiakini.

Uthayakumar insisted that the gathering will go on, saying he has sent an appeal letter to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"We have written to appeal against rejection of the application. It is also to inform the PM that we have received information that there will be groups instigating racial hatred that day to disrupt our peaceful assembly," he claimed.

High commission ready

Second political secretary to the British High Commissioner Dawn Houghton, when contacted, said the high commission will be ready to receive the petition on Sunday.

"We are aware of their plans. Any demonstration is between Hindraf and the local authorities. There should be someone receiving the petition on Sunday," she said.

The gathering is expected to attract 10,000 people to hand over a petition to the Queen of England to support a class-action suit against the British government for bringing Indians to Malaysia as indentured labourers and exploiting them for 150 years.

The quantum being sought is US$4 trillion (RM14 trillion) - or US$1 million for every Indian currently residing in Malaysia.

The denial of the permit comes as another blow for Uthayakumar, whose law office in Kuala Lumpur was raided yesterday by the police, who were searching for a publication deemed to be seditious in content.

Five police officers conducted a search of his office in Jalan Bangsar, while about 10 officers searched another office operated by his brother and Hindraf chairperson Waythamoorthy in Seremban, Negri Sembilan.

However, the police left after an hour, without finding the booklet on either of the premises.