Police has gathered proof that the "Black 14" organisers planned violence at the National Mosque last Saturday, said Deputy Home Minister Zainal Abidin Zin.

"KeADILan leaders have called on their supporters to bring along sticks, flags and canes to fight the police personnel who were to arrest them," he told the Dewan during the one-hour debate on the "Black 14" emergency motion which started at 5pm.

Opposition leader Fadzil Noor, PAS MP for Pendang, moved an urgent motion filed yesterday, to debate the issue this morning.

The motion tabled at 10.15am as the first item on the agenda today was accepted by House Speaker Tun Mohamed Zahir Ismail, who said that the motion satisfied the three criteria - it being of a "specific" nature, is "urgent" and of "public interest".

In response to Zainal, Fadzil said the people's gathering last Saturday was planned to be a peaceful one to mark the anniversary of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim's sentencing and also to present a people's memorandum to the rulers to protest Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's interference with the judiciary system.

Fadzil alleged that it was the prime minister, his deputy and other ministers who had spread rumours about "violence breaking out" during the gathering.

He urged that these rumour mongers be charged in court as was done in the case of several individuals charged with spreading rumours in the Internet of impending trouble at Chow Kit some years ago. This was greeted by loud tapping of the table by opposition MPs.

Tan Seng Giaw, DAP MP for Kepong, in seconding the motion, said that the right to peacefully assemble is a basic right in a parliamentary democracy, and there is no room for violence to be used as long as the security of the country is not jeopardised.

He added that if the gathering at the National Mosque or the vicinity of Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman was not suitable, the police could have allowed such an gathering at alternative venues such as the Bukit Jalil stadium.

However, Zainal stated that police has been always fair.

For example, he said in the past when the government arrested people under the Internal Security Act, as in 1987, Umno politicians were also detained.

At this juncture, Mahfuz Omar, PAS MP for Pokok Sena, interjected: "The government is lying!" But his microphone was quickly switched off.

He nevertheless continued to state that in the Operation Lalang , innocent people like him (Mahfuz) were arrested, but he was shouted down by the government backbenchers.