This is a good move from HINDRAF. They should make police report if they believe in the actions. Home Minister Syed Hamid, Utusan and its columnists, plus few other NGO leaders were issuing statements that seemed off tangent and diverting the issue into something else. Not one, but many police reports were lodged throughout the country by HINDRAF members. According to Malaysiakini, Hindraf national coordinator RS Thanenthiran, 46, who lodged the first police report this afternoon, said the movement wanted police to take action on the home minister, Utusan and the NGOs for wrongfully accusing the human rights group of “creating chaos and insulting Islam” during the open house in Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur.

“They should be charged under the Sedition Act for inciting communal hatred and instigating racial conflict and under the Penal Code for criminal intimidation by issuing threats to racial harmony,” said Thanenthiran (photo, left), who with Nibong Tebal Hindraf coordinator Sanjeeviramah Subramani, 42, lodged the report in Butterworth police station at 12.50pm.

That report was followed by a series of others lodged by Hindraf leaders and activists in George Town, Nibong Tebal, Simpang Empat, Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya, Klang, Alor Star, Sungai Petani, Jitra, Kulim, Lunas, Ipoh, Bagan Serai, Air Tawar, Parit Buntar, Taiping, Teluk Intan, Sitiawan, Muar, Tangkak, Skudai, Kluang and Johor Bahru. Reports were also lodged this evening in Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Terengganu, Seremban, Malacca and Tanah Merah.

Earlier, HINDRAF said it was planning to sue the same group of people. Now the quantum of claim may be set as high as RM100 million it says.

The movement plans go ahead with a civil suit against the newspaper and home minister and if warranted against the NGOs as well.

Thanenthiran told reporters that Hindraf had decided to raise the quantum of its claims from RM1 million ringgit to perhaps even as high as RM100 million. The movement is now discussing the matter with its lawyers and will file the suits soon.

Last Friday, Utusan had front paged its report with the headline – ‘Hindraf Keterlaluan’ (Extreme Hindraf). Two more articles – Baharom Mahusin’s commentary in his ‘Cetusan’ column and Zulkifli Bakar’s commentary in his ‘Pada Hemat Saya’ column – published in the same edition were unfair and intimidating, alleged Thanenthiran.

“The reports and criticisms were inciting racial hatred and instigating communal conflict. The reports suggested that we trespassed the function when in truth, we were invited,” said Thanenthiran.

“The function was not held in a mosque not a buka puasa event. It was organised in a common public building with an open invitation to all Malayians. Suddenly open houses during festive seasons were given new definitions, thanks to Syed Hamid and Utusan,” he added.

The Hindraf leader also alleged this was not first time the Malay daily had played up communal hatred and conflict against various organisations and individuals in the country.

Thanenthiran also challenged Syed Hamid, Utusan and the NGOs to speak the truth and apologise to the movement for “distorting facts and lying to the public.”