The hearing of migrant worker activist Irene Fernandez's appeal against a conviction for maliciously publishing false news is scheduled to be heard between Nov 24 and 28.

Her appeal at the Kuala Lumpur High Court has been riddled by five postponements since April 1 due to technical glitches.

The latest snag was on Oct 28, when defence lawyer M Puravalen told the court that the 8,988 pages of handwritten and typed trial notes were "incomprehensible", prompting a postponement to this month.

Prior to this, there was a postponement resulting from missing statements of important prosecution witnesses in June. In August, the hearing was put off when a computer virus erased trial notes.

In a statement by migrant workers support group Tenaganita yesterday, its director Florida Sandanasamy said technical errors can cast a negative light on the court's credibility.

"It also reveals the weaknesses in the court system and the inherent weaknesses of keeping records. (We must) ensure that justice prevails and that the liberties of persons are not compromised," she said.

irene fernandez Irene was charged in 1996 under the Printing Presses and Publications Act (1984) for allegedly publishing false news in a memorandum to the federal government entitled ‘Abuse, Torture and Dehumanised Conditions of Migrant Workers in Detention Centres'.

Seven years later in Oct 2003, Irene was found guilty and sentenced to 12-months imprisonment. She was allowed bail pending appeal.

With the series of postponements, her trial has become the longest running criminal trial in Malaysian history.

The appeal is being presided by High Court judge Mohamad Apandi Haji Ali.