LIVE! About 3,000 people at Menara Tun Razak, which houses Suhakam's headquarters, dispersed after listening to speeches by a Keadilan leader and a human rights commissioner.

"When the 22-member 'Black 14' delegation emerged from the building at 11.40am, Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail briefed the crowd that the memorandum on human rights prepared by a group of concerned citizens have been handed over to Suhakam.

Commissioner Anuar Zainal Abidin said that Suhakam would consider the 10 points in the memorandum.

"We cannot give any promises, but we will study the memo," he said. He added that he had asked the police to allow the crowd to disperse peacefully, to applause all round.

At his side were commissioners Harun Hashim and Hamdan Adnan.

Kuala Lumpur deputy chief police officer Dell Akbar Khan told reporters that 400 police personnel were deployed today. He estimated the reformasi crowd to number around 1,500 people.

However, other observers have estimated the crowd to be around 3,000.

"The people are here to submit a memorandum. Everything went well. It looks like the crowd did not break the rules and regulations set by the police," he said.

The police has earlier warned that they would take harsh action against those who gathered outside the Suhakam headquarters.

Some reformasi supporters, while dispersing, were seen shaking the hands of Kuala Lumpur police chief Meor Chek Hussein and his deputy, Dell.


We're not 'dealers of molotov cocktail, say Keadilan leader

11.50am LIVE! Reformasi leaders are not "dealers of molotov cocktails", a Keadilan leader told the crowd of 3,000 at Suhakam headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

Keadilan secretary-general Mohd Anuar Tahir said, "We are not dealers of armoured vehicles. We are peace-loving people. We have never even touched the police officers.

"Wear the white ribbon and armband to mourn the death of democracy," he urged, to the roar of the crowd.

PAS Youth deputy chief Salahuddin Ayub said, "The people were right and they have risen."

PRM Youth chief Faizal Sanusi and other Barisan Alternatif leaders also spoke to the crowd while awaiting for the 'Black 14' delegation to finish handing over a [#1]memorandum[/#] on human rights to Suhakam.

The police, who have earlier warned people not to join in the gathering, kept a close watch on the crowd, but have not made any moves to disperse the reformasi supporters.


10-point memorandum to rights commission

11.12am LIVE! The reformasi delegation handed a 10-point memorandum to the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) at 10.45am today. It called on the commission to ensure, among others, freedom of expression, assembly and the press.

The 10 points are:

1) Ensure freedom of speech.

2) Ensure freedom to assembly.

3) Ensure press freedom.

4) Protect the independence of the judiciary.

5) Restore the socio-economic rights of the oppressed.

6) Eliminate racism and racial discrimination.

7) Abolish 'tyrannical' laws such as the Internal Security Act and Emergency Ordinance - which allow for detention without trial - and repeal or amend the Official Secrets Act, Sedition Act, Police Act, Printing Presses and Publications Act, Trade Union Act, and Universities and University Colleges Act.

8) Ratify international human rights covenants such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

9) Investigate corruption, cronyism and nepotism.

10) Investigate police incompetence.

The memorandum was signed by 18 NGOs including students and youth groups, reformasi organisations and human rights bodies.


Reports by Zakiah Koya, Susan Loone, 'Ein Azmi, Tong Yee Siong and Ong Kim Lih