Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P Uthayakumar received medical treatment 10 times until April 14 at government hospitals and clinics since being detained at the Kamunting detention centre in Taiping last November.

According to Bernama, the Prisons Department in a statement said he was also supplied with various types of medicine for his diabetic condition.

The department issued the statement in response to allegations from some quarters that he was being denied proper medical treatment.

hindraf p uthayakumar taiping hospital 170408 01It said early this month, the home minister had also given permission for Uthayakumar to be brought to the Penang Hospital and the National Heart Institute to undergo health checks by experts.

However, the department said Uthayakumar declined to go because his requests for family and lawyer visitations during the hospital visits were denied.

It said permission for him to receive medicine from family members for his ailment were also denied because of the detention regulations, as this could compromise his health and safety.

It further added that the public need not worry about healthcare for ISA detainees as there were ample provisions for this under the detention regulations.

Stop baseless accusations

In view of this, the department asked all parties to cease making unfounded and baseless accusations that Uthayakumar was being denied proper medical treatment.

Uthayakumar was among five Hindraf leaders detained on Dec 13 under the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows for detention without trial.

On Nov 25, Hindraf organised a mammoth street rally which drew some 30,000 people to the streets in Kuala Lumpur.

While the government has classified the movement as extremist outfit and its leaders a threat to national security, their supporters however claim that Hindraf was merely raising the Indian community’s legitimate grouses.

The other four detainees are M.Manoharan, V.Ganabatirau, K.Vasantha Kumar and RKenghadharan.