The gathering to welcome PAS Youth chief Mahfuz Omar and two other PAS officials on their release from the Kajang prison on Friday will be a peaceful one, assured the organiser of the event which is expected to draw a large crowd.

Chairperson of the "Return the Rights of the People" campaign Dr Mohammed Hatta Mohammed Ramli told malaysiakini that PAS president Fadzil Noor would attend, as well as other Barisan Alternatif leaders.

Stating that he does not know how many people will attend the gathering, Hatta said he has assured the police that the people will behave in an orderly fashion as all they want to do is welcome the three who had opted to spend a month in prison rather than pay the RM1,500 fine imposed by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Nov 9.

Mahfuz and the other two PAS officials - Pas Youth deputy chief Salahuddin Ayub and Jalaluddin Abdul Manan - were sentenced to either a month's jail or a fine of RM1,500 each after being found guilty of taking part in an illegal demonstration protesting the presence of the Israeli cricket team at Universiti Malaya three years ago. (Anti-Israel: Mahfuz dipenjara sebulan, 9 Nov).

Hatta also referred to the peaceful gathering of several thousand people outside the Defence Ministry on Nov 5 which was organised by PAS to protest the government's withdrawal of oil royalties to the Terengganu state government.

Police permit

"It is the people's right to gather and I do not see why we have to request for a police permit to welcome someone who is being released from prison," said Hatta, when asked whether the organisers have requested for a police permit.

"Although this is a welcoming gathering, the issue will still be anti-Israel. What Mahfuz and many of us did at Universiti Malaya in 1997 was in protest of ties with Israel and to condemn their atrocities against the Palestinians.

"There will be speeches by the ex-detainees and also by the present BA leaders. After that, we will perform our Friday prayers at one of the mosques," said Hatta.

On whether the group will march to the National Mosque after that, Hatta said, "There is no such plan. But since many of the mosques will be too small to accommodate all the people expected, most probably everybody will meet at the Masjid Negara later."

Hatta said that he does not know the exact time when Mahfuz and the others will be released.

"They might be released after midnight but we simply cannot wait for them from midnight onwards. Everybody has been asked to gather at 8am," said Hatta.