Kuala Lumpur, May 26 (IANS) A banned body that claims to speak for Hindus in Malaysia has sought a judicial review of the government's rejection of its plea for registration as a non-government organisation (NGO).

The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) Wednesday filed for judicial review, naming among others Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein as respondents.

P. Ramesh, 40, filed the application at the High Court registry, New Straits Times reported.

Hindraf attracted the government's ire in November 2007 when it posted a protest letter on a website, addressing it to the British prime minister and complaining that the former colonial masters of the erstwhile Malaya had disregarded the interests of the ethnic Indian population.

Malaysia is home to 2.1 million ethnic Indians, a majority of whom are Tamil Hindus who settled here during the British era.

Hindraf also organised a protest rally in the national capital protesting against the discrimination of ethnic Indians in jobs and education and alleged demolition of several Hindu temples.

Five of its top leaders were jailed for several months, accused of rioting and having `terrorist connections'.

Prime Minister Najib released them in batches after he took office in April 2008.