Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) president S. Samy Vellu is the first high-ranking leader from the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition to ask the government to free leaders from the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).

The former Works Minister had previously supported the detention of the five. Many see his reversal as an attempt to shore up support for his party, which took a severe beating during the March 8 general election.

Datuk Seri Samy Vellu added that two of the detainees - Mr R. Kenghadaran, 40, who is 'very sick' and Mr M. Manoharan, 46, who has just been elected a Selangor legislator - should be freed earlier.

He also said that two others, Mr V. Ganabatirau, 34, and Mr K. Vasantha Kumar, 34, were not actively involved in the Nov 25 rally which saw 20,000 Indians taking to the streets.

The fifth Hindraf leader under detention is Mr P. Uthayakumar, 47.

'We are concerned about Kenghadaran and Manoharan. I spoke to the wives of both of them,' Datuk Samy Vellu said.

'I will raise it (their release) with the Prime Minister,' he told a media conference after an MIC event.

He added that he would meet Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar soon to make his case for the release. Datuk Seri Syed Hamid had rejected calls for the release on 'national security grounds'.

This drew criticism from the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) leader Lim Kit Siang.

'It shows that Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's administration has not really heard the voice of the people in the March 8 political tsunami to change towards a more democratic and accountable Malaysian society,' Mr Lim said in a statement.

The five detainees, top Hindraf leaders, were instrumental in organising the rally to protest against government policies which allegedly discriminate against the Indian community. All have been held since last December.

Mr Manoharan, a long- time DAP member, won the Kota Alam Shah state seat during the recent elections.

Datuk Seri Samy Vellu, who lost his seat in the general election, said his request was not a populist move to win back Indian support for the MIC.

'This is done in fairness, sympathy and also we feel that we as Indians have to do something about it. It is not a publicity stunt,' he said.

His remarks yesterday were a sharp contrast to his previous statements supporting the use of the Internal Security Act against the five.

One day after their arrests, he had said their detention was 'necessary for the sake of maintaining peace and security in the country'.

The crackdown on Hindraf activists was the turning point for the Indian community, which accounts for 8 per cent of Malaysia's 27 million people and had always been a staunch supporter of the government.

During the elections, MIC won only three of the nine contested Parliament seats - one of the party's worst showings ever.

Datuk Seri Samy Vellu, 72, who had been a lawmaker for more than 30 years, was defeated and later dropped as a minister from the new Cabinet. But he remains the leader of the Indian party.

The MIC supremo's call also came amid talks that his former deputy and political rival S. Subramaniam would be making a comeback to help reform the beleaguered party.

By openly making a popular request, Datuk Seri Samy Vellu is seen as trying to consolidate his position in the party.

Hindraf coordinator S. Jayathas said Datuk Seri Samy Vellu's request was long overdue.

'Samy Vellu only says this after BN lost its two- thirds majority in Parliament and lost control of five states. He wants to win back the Indian voters,' he told The Straits Times.

kumhor@sph.com.sg.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM BERNAMA