A High Court judge today asked the prosecution team to confirm whether the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) has been given access to two Internal Security Act (ISA)detainees nabbed recently in a police crackdown on reformasi activists.

Shah Alam High Court presiding judge Mohd Hishammuddin Mohd Yunus, hearing the habeas corpus application of Abdul Ghani Harun and N Gobalakrishnan, asked this when the prosecution was about to submit their arguments on a letter by Suhakam requesting to visit the detainees.

Senior Federal Counsel Abdul Wahab Abdul Rashid, however, told the court that he had no idea of the status.

"It is difficult to answer. I have not spoken to the officers as to what chance had been given to Suhakam to meet with the detainees and I don't know if the letter from Suhakam had been replied by the police," Wahab said.

Suhakam's letter dated April 13 requesting to meet with the detainees has yet to receive a reply from the police.

Wahab also referred to Section 16 of the ISA which states that the Home Minister is not required to "disclose facts or to produce documents which he considers to be against the national interest to disclose or produce".

Hishamuddin then adjourned the hearing to 10am tomorrow to allow for the prosecution team to confirm if there has been a new development with regard to Suhakam's visit.

Isolated assault

Earlier another Senior Federal Counsel Rasid Sudin had said that assault on former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim by former police chief Rahim Noor was an isolated case.

"We cannot equate and infer that the same will happen to the detainees in this present application," he said.

Yesterday, the defence team had asked the judge to take note on the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Anwar's injuries during his detention, adding that the police then had assured the public of Anwar's safety.

A similar letter of assurance was recently sent to the lawyers and families of Abdul Ghani and Gobalakrishnan.

The other lawyers of the two detainees are Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, P Kandasamy, Hamidzun Khairuddin and Saiful Idzam Ramli.

Abdul Ghani and Gobalakrishnan were among the initial seven arrested, the other five being Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua, party Youth leaders Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor and Saari Sungib, Free Anwar Campaign (Freeanwar.com) webmaster Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin and social activist cum malaysiakini columnist Hishamuddin Rais.

The five - Tian Chua, Ezam, Saari, Raja Petra and Hishamuddin - lost their bid for a similar application at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Wednesday when Justice Augustine Paul ruled that the court had no jurisdiction to hear the matter.

Two other Keadilan leaders, Dr Badrul Amin Baharom and Lokman Adam, were arrested last Friday and this Tuesday respectively while human rights activist Badaruddin Ismail was nabbed on Wednesday.