A second invitation to the Jan 20 gathering in Klang organised by Keadilan will be sent to the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) requesting them to send observers to the event for which a large crowd is expected, the organising committee said today.

Saari Sungib, committee chairman, told malaysiakini he will be sending the second invitation today, after the first invitation was turned down by Suhakam.

"The mood of the event is that of an 'open house'," Saari said.

"It will not be a political rally. The event is to promote solidarity among the people and there will be some Hari Raya ceramah ."

Suhakam commissioner Anuar Zainal Abidin told reporters yesterday that the decision not to attend the Jan 20 event was made because the invitation was only to an "Hari Raya open house" and did not involve the issue of human rights.

Anuar heads a three-member panel now holding an inquiry into alleged police brutality during the aborted "100,000 People's Gathering" at Jalan Kebun just off the Kesas Highways in Shah Alam on Nov 5 last year.

The rally was aborted after police stopped participants from going to the venue by cordoning off all exits to the place creating a massive traffic jam on the highway.

The inquiry so far has heard the testimonies of 27 witnesses including that of Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and a 17-year-old SPM student who was among the 125 arrested on Nov 5.

Will negotiate

When asked if Keadilan had applied for a police permit, Saari said that he had received a "positive oral response" from a senior officer at the Banting district police station.

"I am hoping to receive a written response from him in one or two days. But if we are confronted with the police again on that day, we are always ready to negotiate.

"The event is to be held at Keadilan's Kuala Langat chief Asmadi Mohd Salleh's mother-in-law's house," Saari said.

The house is located at Kampung Medan, Telok Panglima Garang, 4km off the Klang-Banting exit off the Kesas Highway.

When asked if the leaders of opposition parties would be present, Saari said that only PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali has confirmed his attendance.

"I have sent invitations to Fadzil Nor of PAS and I am hoping to have the chairman and the secretary-general of DAP there as well, " he said.

When asked if Wan Azizah would be present, he said "it would depend on her schedule and we hope to finalise everything by Friday".