After being exposed, Syed Hamid refuses to back down (ref. malaysiakini)

After being exposed by HINDRAF (Malaysiakini's report), Syed Hamid today continues to insist that he never canceled the passport of a HINDRAF leader.

Part of the Malaysiakini report:

The banned Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) today revealed a document purportedly issued by British authorities confirming that Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy's passport had been revoked by the Malaysian government - malaysiakini.com


The Malaysian Insider carries this report:

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 23 — The Government yesterday denied cancelling Hindraf leader P. Wayathamoorthy’s passport, saying the opposition had lied about the matter.

“I don't do work on the basis of lies. I work based on the facts and I don't lie,” Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.

He slammed opposition leader Lim Kit Siang for using parliamentary privilege to make such claims after the DAP supremo said he wanted to refer the minister to the Privileges Committee for lying about revoking Waythamoorthy's passport.

Syed Hamid had denied revoking the passport in the Dewan Rakyat earlier this year despite claims by the Hindraf leader who had fled to the United Kingdom and sought asylum.

The government last week outlawed Hindraf.

The minister said he had actually stopped "relevant authorities" from revoking the passport to enable Waythamoorty to travel home.

"These people who are so fond of distorting facts should get their notes right. Let me be very clear, we have not cancelled the passport of that particular person (Waytha Moorthy) and this is the truth.

"We had asked him to surrender his passport to the Malaysian High Commission, but he did not do that. How can his passport be cancelled when he never did so? In order to cancel a passport, we need to stamp it as 'cancelled'," Syed Hamid said.

Hindraf national coordinator R. Thanendran yesterday handed a letter, purportedly from the UK Home Office, to Pakatan Rakyat MPs in Parliament which stated a request by Malaysian authorities for the return of Waythamoorthy’s passport.

So somebody is lying. Syed Hamid or HINDRAF.

Seeing that HINDRAF has produced an official letter from the British Government, I am inclined to side with them.