Jailed Keadilan Youth leader Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor ( left ) is expected to be released on bail early next week with a stay of execution on his two-year jail sentence for an Official Secrets Act offence.

His lawyer, Latheefa Koya said today the Kuala Lumpur High Court has fixed next Tuesday for the hearing of his application for bail, pending an appeal against the conviction.

"He should be released on Tuesday. He did not apply for a stay of execution earlier because he still had to serve his ISA detention order. It was then a choice between Kamunting and Kajang and he chose Kajang.

"But now with the end of the ISA order, he could walk free by next Tuesday," she said when contacted.

Mohd Ezam was serving a two-year detention order under the Internal Security Act at the Kamunting detention camp when he was found guilty of revealing confidential documents to the press on a graft probe.

He was then transferred to Kajang prison last August to serve his two-year jail term.

Two more expected out

The change in circumstances for Mohd Ezam and three other ISA detainees - Saari Sungib, Tian Chua and Hishamuddin Rais - took place last Sunday when they were released unconditionally from ISA detention.

Yesterday, the Kulim Magistrate's court granted a bail of RM5,000 pending the hearing of another charge against him (Ezam) for rioting and unlawfully detaining people alleged to be phantom voters during the 1999 Lunas by-election.

Mohd Ezam is also expected to be granted bail on Monday for two other illegal assembly charges for participating in a protest against the alleged arsenic poisoning of jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim while the latter was in prison.

The prospective release of the Keadilan Youth chief could well mean the end of detention for the group of reformasi activists who were first arrested in April 2001 for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government by militant means - a charge which they have all denied.

Two remaining detainees Lokman Adam and Dr Badrulamin Bahron are expected to be released by next Thursday with the expiry of their ISA detention orders.

Kick-start merger talks

Meanwhile, the imminent release of Mohd Ezam may finally set in motion again stalled merger talks between Keadilan and Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM).

Although the merger initiative had started as early as a year ago, the talks had stalled due to disagreement between the youth wings of both parties on whether to allow women to join the youth movement of the merged entity.

But Latheefa ( left ) who is also PRM Youth secretary-general was optimistic that negotiations on the issue would continue.

"With Ezam out, I hope whatever Pemuda issues that we have would be steered in the right direction," she said.

On Mohd Ezam's position on the matter, Latheefa said she would comment only after consulting with the Keadilan Youth chief.

"I will be briefing him today when I see him in Kajang," she added.

Signs of discord

Although the merger of the two parties is pending approval by the Registrar of Societies, current plans have set the launch ceremony for late July to early August this year. The merged entity will be named Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

Since late last year, signs of discord have appeared over the new leadership line-up culminating with the problems over youth succession.

The two sides are now pressed for time to resolve the issues as an agreement has to be made in time for PRM's annual congress next month.