The Shah Alam High Court will continue to hear submissions tomorrow on whether the two Keadilan leaders detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) two weeks ago, should be present in court when their habeas corpus applications are heard.

Justice Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus told the defence counsel and the prosecuting team that he wanted to hear arguments from them on this matter.

Families of Keadilan Youth leaders N Gobalakrishnan and Abdul Ghani Haroon had filed the applications last week seeking the immediate release of the two.

Habeas corpus is a writ ordering prisoners to be brought before a court or a judge to ascertain whether their detention is lawful.

Defence counsel Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin told malaysiakini the defence lawyers had raised objections during today's proceedings on the absence of the detainees.

He said the detainees were absent despite an "order to produce" being issued by the Shah Alam High Court to the prosecution to ensure their presence at hearings.

Common practise

According to Kamarul, the "order to produce" is a common practise in the Shah Alam High Court.

"The order was served on the prosecution last Friday," he added.

He said the prosecution contended at the hearing today that they need not comply to the order since it is an administrative order and not a judicial order.

"However, we argued that the prosecution was breaching a court order by not producing the two detainees," added Kamarul.

In order to clarify this, the judge had asked the parties to submit further tomorrow. He had also rejected an objection raised by the prosecution that the two applications should not be heard together.

Gobalakrishnan and Abdul Ghani were detained with seven others under the ISA in a police dragnet launched on April 10 for allegedly planning to topple the government through militant means.

Gobalakrishnan was arrested in Langkawi, Kedah whereas Abdul Ghani was detained in Kuching, Sarawak.

Meanwhile, the habeas corpus application on behalf of five other ISA detainees will be decided tomorrow at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.