The defence for Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez today requested that her trial be postponed until tomorrow since her counsel M. Puravalen might be called upon as an intervener in the contempt charge against Bar Council president Sulaiman Abdullah.

Puravalen, who is a member of the Bar Council's exco, had to be present in Sulaiman's contempt of court hearing in case he is called to answer questions.

Magistrate Juliana Mohamed approved the request and fixed hearing to resume tomorrow morning.

Yesterday, the defence announced its intention to call in more Bangladeshi witnesses to provide their testimonies.

So far, two Bangladeshi witnesses have been called, M. Mozumder and G. Mawla, both former detainees of Malaysia's illegal immigrants detention camps. They have provided disturbing testimonies regarding their experience while in detention over six years ago.

Fernandez, who is also a women's rights activist and KeADILan supreme council member, was charged with "maliciously publishing false news" after she released a memorandum about tortures and deaths in illegal immigrants detention camps at a press conference in August 1995.

If convicted, she could face prison time of up to three years.

Fernandez's trial, which began in June 1996, is considered the longest-running trial in Malaysian legal history.