Several 'Karachi 13' students still detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for alleged links to the Jemaah Islamiah militant organisation met with their family members today but there is no indication that they would be released.

According to Abolish ISA Movement committee member Badaruddin Ismail, family members of Mohd Ikhwan Abdullah, 19, and Muhammad Ariffin Zulkarnain, 18, met with the detained youths for about an hour this morning at the Bukit Aman police headquarters.

Badaruddin said the parents of Muhammad Ariffin were given access at about 10:30 am while the mother and sister of Mohd Ikhwan met with the latter at about 11:45 am.

The anti-ISA campaigner, who is in touch with the family members, said no mention was made on freedom for the students who hail from Ulu Tiram and Skudai, Johor, respectively.

The duo is part of an initial group of 13 youths first arrested in Pakistan two months ago on suspicion of being involved in militant activities, but were later released and deported to Malaysia.

Upon their arrival in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 11, the students - all aged between 16 and 25 - were arrested by the police who claimed that they could have been trained as the next generation of JI leaders.

However, four of the detained youths were released on Monday, leaving nine more in police custody.

Fresh applications

Meanwhile, a lawyer representing nine of the students (two of whom have since been released), Edward Saw said his clients will be pushing ahead with their habeas corpus applications in order to win their release.

Saw said fresh applications will be filed next Monday if lawyers succeed in gaining access to the students.

"We have written to the Inspector-General of Police (Mohamed Bakri Omar) on Monday. We have not heard from them yet. If the police do not allow us access to the students, we would have to raise the matter with the Attorney-General's Chambers," he said when contacted today.

He added that the originally intended date for submission of the fresh affidavits was postponed following the release of four students on Monday.

"We were expecting to re-file on Monday but the police started releasing several students so we decided to wait and see if they will release the rest."

Last Saturday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court disallowed the original motion filed by mothers of the students on grounds that the students should have been asked to sign their own affidavits for their habeas corpus application.

The court rejected arguments by the applicants' lawyers of difficulty in gaining access to the students and called instead for the public prosecutor to ensure that legal access is allowed for the purposes of the case.