At the illegal assembly trial of the 'ISA 7' today, a prosecution witness told the Kuala Lumpur magistrate's court that the demonstration in 2001 had turned unruly after the police started arresting protestors.

The seven accused - suspended university students Rafzan Ramli ( photo ), Helma Sanudin, Khairul Amal Mahmood, Ahmad Kamal Abdul Hamid, Wan Sanusi Wan Mohd Noor, Nik Noorhafizi Nik Ismail and Zulkifli Idris - are charged with breaching section 27 of the Police Act.

They are alleged to have participated in a demonstration outside the National Mosque on June 8, 2001 (in protest of the Internal Security Act detention of reformasi activists).

The case is being heard before magistrate Lim Kui Lee after being postponed eight times. The hearing started yesterday.

The students are represented by Amer Hamzah, Edmund Bon, Latheefa Koya, Wan Razali Wan Kadir and Zulkifli Omar. DPP Ahmad Bache is prosecuting the case.

Identification process

Taking the stand today, prosecution witness Dang Wangi district police station deputy chief Mohd Khasni Mohd Noor testified that he was performing Friday prayers at the mosque when he heard chants of 'reformasi' and ' Allahuakbar ' (God is great) coming from the compound.

He observed the crowd of about 200 students for about 15 minutes and then tried to disperse the group by issuing three warnings using a loud-hailer.

Mohd Khasni claimed that the students refused to leave and started to form a human chain instead, but said this might have been because the loud-hailer was not functioning. Police reinforcements later arrived.

Questioned by Bon as to whether he had surveyed the crowd thoroughly in order to identify individuals holding posters and banners, the witness admitted he had not done so.

He said he obtained the evidence from photographs taken at the scene, but maintained that he could see "from far away" and that he knew who was participating in the assembly.

He agreed with Bon that the situation had turned chaotic after the police started making arrests, but disagreed that this was caused by the police.

To a question from Amer, Mohd Khasni agreed it was not wrong to chan ' Allahuakbar ' and to hold posters in the mosque compound.

The witness agreed that the mosque could play a role as a place for Muslims to meet and discuss or debate issues.

'Social activity'

Earlier, the first witness, chief inspector Badrul Hisham Baharuddin from Jalan Tun HS Lee police station, continued his testimony from yesterday.

Under re-examination, he explained that a family of three on a picnic would not have to apply for a police permit, because "in my opinion, this is a social activity and is not prejudicial to national security".

(Under section 27 of the Police Act, the gathering of more than three people in a public place without a police permit is deemed to be an illegal assembly.)

He and Mohd Khasni also told the court that they had led a police team to arrest the seven in an operation code-named 'Ops Padam', aimed at curbing reformasi-related activities.

Meeting requested

The court room was filled with the students' supporters. Among those present were Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and human rights activist Baharuddin Ismail.

Talking to reporters later, Wan Azizah added to calls for the Education Ministry to reinstate the seven students.

She said the seven were all qualified students admitted by their respective universities and should not have been suspended before the court disposes of their case.

In a related development, the seven students handed a letter to Education Minister Musa Mohamed's office today, requesting an urgent meeting with him.

They said the meeting should take place as soon as possible as they have yet to receive any feedback from the ministry about their appeals lodged two years ago.

The students also want a clear explanation from Musa in relation to his statement last Thursday, when he said. they could resume their studies if they are willing to concede they were wrong and apologise to him.

The court hearing will resume tomorrow.