'Indians in Malaysia fighting a losing battle'

London, January 2: Minority ethnic Indians are fighting a "losing battle" for equal rights in Malaysia, and their fledgling protest movement against the government is likely to die soon, an exiled protest leader said.

Ultimately, only the government - not the people - can bring about real change by giving concessions to ethnic Indians, said P. Waytha Moorthy, the chairman of the Hindu Rights Action Force group that is leading the Indian movement.

"We are fighting a losing battle, we know we try our level best but if we don't succeed, we have to call it a day, isn't it?" Moorthy said in the interview in the London suburb of Hounslow, where he is living with friends.