Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) deputy head Simon Sipaun and former commissioner Mehrun Siraj may be called to testify in the trial of 11 people charged with taking part in an illegal gathering along the Kesas Highway nine years ago.

shamsul iskandar yusmadi yusof Counsel Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin (left) and Mohd Yusmadi Yusoff, who are representing the accused, applied yesterday for the two witnesses to be called and for the trial to be postponed in the interim.

The case was slated for continued hearing yesterday for three days during the defence case. However, Shamsul Iskandar applied for the postponement to make the application to summon the new witnesses at the defence stage.

The hearing started in 2001. However, the case has taken a long time to be heard because Sessions judge Noradidah Ahmad was transferred from the court in Klang to the one in Ampang. She has had to criss-cross between the two courts to hear the trial.

Yesterday, Noradidah fixed May 28 for continued hearing, and submissions for three days from June 15. DPP Roslan Abu Bakar represented the prosecution.

simon sipaun 02 mehrun siraj 310305 Sipaun (left) and Mehrun (right) , along with the late Anuar Zainal Abidin, had conducted a four-month public inquiry into complaints of human rights violations during the Nov 25, 2000 protest, dubbed the ‘100,000 People's Gathering’ at Jalan Kebun, Klang.

Shamsuk Iskandar further applied to have the Suhakam report - detailing the inquiry proceedings, findings and recommendation - to be admitted as evidence.

The findings indicated human rights violations due to the "total denial and domination" of the police in dispersing the crowd, arrests of persons at the scene, and treatment of those arrested.

The report concluded that it was possible the police had orchestrated an assault on a police officer in order to turn an otherwise peaceful gathering into an apparently violent one.

Shamsul Iskandar said the legal team would present a written submission on why the report should be accepted as evidence, and why the two from Suhakam should be called.

wan azizah "We also hope to call PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (left) and Pas information chief Mahfuz Omar to testify as they were also at the scene, and had testified at the inquiry," Shamsul Iskandar said when contacted today.

During the incident, more than 157 people were arrested but 11 were eventually charged with illegal assembly and failure to abide by police directives to disperse.

If found guilty, they are liable to a maximum of 12 months in jail or a fine up to RM2,000, or both.