The trial of two labour activists was postponed yet again today by the Kuala Lumpur magistrate's court.

Magistrate Nor Aziati Jaafar set the hearing for Nov 30 after police prosecuting officer Zulkifli Osman said he was not prepared to proceed on behalf of A Vasu, who is on leave. The hearing had been postponed from July 3 for the same reason.

Brothers T Mohan and T Saravanan stand accused of "unruly behaviour" at the Dang Wangi police station in Kuala Lumpur on May 1, 2002.

They are alleged to have shouted in protest upon being denied permission to deliver food to 17 fellow activists who had been detained for alleged illegal assembly since that morning.

The protestors were arrested in Jalan Sultan Ismail after arriving from two locations on a Labour Day march. Although they were eventually released by police, Mohan and Saravanan were charged with misconduct.

The offence under section 90 of the Police Act 1960 is punishable under section 94 read with section 34 of the Penal Code, with a fine not exceeding RM500 or maximum jail sentence of six months, or both.

In mid-September last year, when the trial started, 30 non-governmental organisations had submitted a letter to Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail requesting that the charge be dropped, but without success.