Some 30 university students and activists staged a brief demonstration at the Jalan Duta court complex today in support of six students being tried for participating in an illegal assembly.

The demonstration, the first ever at the new court complex, lasted some 15 minutes before policemen told the group to disperse.

Several uniformed policemen reprimanded the demonstrators over their loud slogan chanting which was said to be disrupting court proceedings.

Armed with banners and placards, the group chanted: 'Student power' and ' Hidup mahasiswa ' (love live students).

Several speakers at the demonstration touched on the need to repeal the University and University Colleges Act (UUCA) 1971 and voiced support for the six being tried.

The six were among seven university students were arrested for allegedly participating in a demonstration at the National Mosque, Kuala Lumpur, on June 8, 2001, against the detention of 10 opposition figures under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

In 2005, the seven suspended university students - dubbed as the 'ISA 7' - were acquitted of the charge after the magistrate's court found that the prosecution had failed to build a prima facie case against them.

Upon an appeal by the Attorney-General's Chambers, the seven were subsequently ordered to enter defence on March 13 this year.

Case postponed

One of the students, Wan Mohd Sanusi Wan Mohd Noor, however was granted a discharge not amounting to acquittal following the police's failure to service the court notice on him.

The remaining six on trial are Ahmad Kamal Abdul Hamid, Nik Norhafizi Nik Ibrahim, Zulkefle Idris, Rafzan Ramli, Helman Sanuddin and Khairul Amal Mahmud.

At the trial today, Ahmad Kamal Abdul Hamid was cross-examined by deputy public prosecutor Mohd Abazafree Mohd Abbas.

Representing the six were Latheefa Koya, Amer Hamzah Arshad, Zulkifli Omar and Nik Mohamed Ikhwan Nik Mahamud.

The trial has been postponed to Dec 17 and will be heard for three days.