The trial of seven students for alleged involvement in an anti-ISA demonstration has been put off until Jan 2 next year.

No reason was given though the date was confirmed by court officials at the Kuala Lumpur Magistrates Court this morning. Postponed in October, the trial was set to be heard today before Magistrate Lim Kui Lee.

When contacted, one of the students, Rafzan Ramli, said a possible reason for the postponement could have been the Hari Raya holidays.

Rafzan was arrested on June 8 for holding and participating in a demonstration in front of the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur the same day.

The gathering was to protest the April ISA detention of 10 Keadilan and reformasi activists for alleged involvement in a 'militant' attempt to topple the government. Five have since been released while the rest are serving a two-year detention in the Kamunting Detention Centre.

Rafzan, a second-year student from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), was arrested together with students Ahmad Kamal Abd Hamid, Khairul Amal Mahmood, Nik Noorhafizi, Wan Mohd Sanusi Wan Mohd Noor, Zulkifli Idris, and technician Hilman Sanuddin.

They were later brought to the Dang Wangi police station where they were held for nearly 24 hours and subsequently charged under Section 27 of the Police Act.

The other students were from UiTM, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Malaya

They are also subject to disciplinary actions from their universities under the Universities and University Colleges Act which prohibits students from getting involved in partisan politics.

Lokman's trial postponed

Meanwhile, Keadilan youth leader Lokman Noor Adam's illegal assembly trial has been postponed to June 3 to 6.

Lokman was arrested in 1998 during one of the reformasi street protests against the ousting of former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.

He is currently among those held under the ISA.