Anti-fuel hike protesters to know their fate on Dec 6

Is there is a prima facie case against 45 activists charged with illegal assembly by protesting against a fuel price hike at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Jan 26, 2008?

If there is, they will know on Dec 6, which is the date the sessions court in Kuala Lumpur fixed today, to make its decision.

Deputy public prosecutor Yusani Emel said this was because one of the accused had only submitted his written submission to the court, but not to the prosecution.

As a result, the prosecution team could not complete its written submission, and the court's proceedings had to be delayed.

"They (the lawyers for the accused) are going to send it to us now," Yusani said when met at the court after emerging from the chamber of sessions judge Mat Ghani Abdullah.

He said the prosecution team would submit its written submissions early next week, after receiving the last submission from the accused concerned.

The 45 persons include PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, former Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad (left), Batu MP Chua Tian Chang, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) chairperson Mohd Nasir Hashim (above, right) PSM secretary-general A Arutchelvan and former Malaysiakini journalist Syed Jaymal Zahiid.

Most of them were charged with illegal assembly at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Jan 26, 2008, in protest of a fuel price hike.

However, Syed Jaymal (right), a Malaysiakini journalist at that time, has a different charge against him: obstructing chief unspector Effendi Abdul Rahman from performing his duty by questioning Effendi about the arrests of the protesters.

If the court rules in favour of the prosecution, the accused will be called to enter their defence.