The police have postponed the filing of applications to place a behavioural bond on 28 residents of Kampung Gatco in Negeri Sembilan.

The hearing was supposed to take place last Friday.

"We weren't given any reasons," said the villagers' lawyer S Karthigesan when contacted today.

He said that the police had reached him by phone and visited the houses of the 28 individuals to inform them in person of the postponement on Thursday.

Jempol police headquarters had previously explained they were under orders from the attorney-general's chambers to apply Section 67 of the Criminal Procedure Code on 28 individuals.

The group were arrested on July 18, for blocking a lorry attempting to transport rubber logs from the Gatco estate. Police later tried to remand them for three days but their application was rejected by the Seremban High Court.

Section 67 concerns "security for keeping the peace" and allows the magistrate to execute a bond, with or without sureties, on persons who are "likely to commit a breach of peace or to do any wrongful act that may probably occasion to a breach of peace" for a period, not more than six months.

The onus is on the defendants to prove to the magistrate that their actions will not constitute a breach of peace.

Karthigesan, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) former leader P Uthayakumar have raised concerns that the bond, if granted, would further encourage authorities to restrict activists in the country.

The villagers claim they have a right to prevent the removal of logs as there is a pending suit between 140 villagers and Thamarai Holdings Sdn Bhd, a private developer, over rights to the estate. The matter will be heard by the Putrajaya Court of Appeal on Sept 14.

The estate was sold after the original leaseholder, the Great Alonioners Trading Corporation Bhd (Gatco), after which the village was named, was declared bankrupt.