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A former Malaysian politician of Indian origin has been on a hunger strike for the past three weeks to protest against his exile to a remote province by authorities for suspected links with the underworld.
Balakrishnan Appala, a former branch leader of the Malaysian Indian Congress -- the country's largest ethnic Indian political party, is reported to be in a frail and weak condition as he has refused to eat for last three weeks.
The 36-year-old, who was sent to a remote area in Kelantan state in April under the country's emergency ordinance to deal with suspected drug traffickers and mafia activists, claims that he has not yet been formally charged with any offence.
Under the order, Balakrishnan cannot leave the district and must report to the police each week. Reports quoting his brother said that Balakrishnan preferred to die unless he was set free by the authorities or charged in court of any wrongdoing.
Balakrishnan went on hunger strike on November 30, but has been intermittently hospitalised in the past week and given intravenous glucose.
A spokesman for a human rights group was quoted by reports as saying that Balakrishnan was very weak. His wife Rukamani Devi is also staging a sit-in near the Internal security Ministry in Putrajaya.