Malaysian water cannon for Indians’ flower protest

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s ruling coalition is widely expected to retain power at the polls, although with a reduced majority, but many Indians accuse his multi-racial coalition, dominated by ethnic Malays, of racial discrimination.

The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hinraf) first announced the protest in January as a way to press its demand for the release of five of its leaders jailed under tough internal security laws. The government detained the men without trial soon after more than 10,000 ethnic Indians marched in thecapital last November to complain about a lack of job and education opportunities, in response to a call from the group.

The children in the group were led by Hindraf chief Wayathamoorthy’s five-year-old daughter Vvaishnnavi, who wanted to present roses to Badawi and had last month written a letter to him urging him to be present at Parliament house to receive the flowers.