Seven suspended university students charged with illegal assembly in 2001 have to wait a third time to find out their fate - the Kuala Lumpur magistrate's court put off its decision again today.

Those in the packed courtroom waited for 90 minutes to hear the verdict as to whether the prosecution has established a prima facie case against the accused, dubbed the 'ISA 7'.

The seven are accused of participating in an anti-Internal Security Act (ISA) demonstration outside the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur on June 8, 2001. They have since been banned from attending classes by the four universities where they had been studying.

They pleaded not guilty to the charge, which provides for a maximum two-year jail sentence, a fine of up to RM10,000 or both.

The seven are Rafzan Ramli, Helman Sanuddin, Wan Sanusi Wan Mohd Noor, Khairul Amal Mahmud, Nik Noorhafizi Nik Ibrahim, Ahmad Kamal Abdul Hamid and Zulkefle Idris.

Apart from Ahmad Kamal, who is in Kedah to attend to family matters, the rest were in court today.

Defence counsel Edmund Bon told reporters later that the postponement was due to a directive from Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim last December, instructing another magistrate to take over the case.

"The new magistrate (Mohd Khairi Haron) has been asked to continue hearing the case and make a decision. It is an administrative decision," he said outside the courtroom.

Former magistrate Lim Kui Lee, who had presided over the hearings, has been transferred.

Mohd Khairi conveyed the news to the defence team and prosecution during a meeting in chambers.

Time needed

Elaborating, Bon said the new magistrate told them he needs more time to study the notes of the proceedings and that there is a possibility that witnesses could be recalled.

"Any possibility of recalling the witnesses is at the new magistrate's discretion ... It is very unfortunate because the students were charged in 2001 and they cannot move on with their lives until the case is disposed of," he added.

Mohd Khairi later fixed April 12 for mention. Apart from Bon, Amer Hamzah Arshad and Latheefa Koya also represented the seven accused while Melissa Mohd Akhir prosecuted.

The first postponement was made last December - nine months after all eight prosecution witnesses had testified - on grounds that the " decision was not ready ".

The 'ISA 7' hearing began in July 2003 after the matter had been postponed on eight previous occasions.

Previously, the seven - from four local varsities - had appealed to the education ministry but then Education Minister Musa Mohamed said they could only be reinstated if they apologised .

Meanwhile, Hong Kong-based Asian Students Association (ASA) regional secretary Lee Khai Loon who was present in court, expressed disappointment over the postponement.

"The case has been delayed too long and the court owes the public a reasonable explanation. The seven students could have graduated even if they had started a new course while waiting for the trial to end," he told malaysiakini.

He added that ASA - a coalition of 53 students' groups from 31 countries - will continue to lobby for regional support for the 'ISA 7'.

Another students' coalition, Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM), echoed his views.

Spokesperson Mohd Ramadhan Filtri Ellias told reporters that the postponement showed that calls for judicial reform and efficiency have not been heard.

Earlier, SMM and some 30 students from various local universities held a peaceful assembly, outside the court, reiterating their call for acquittal of the seven.