KeADILan information chief Ruslan Kassim was arrested by police at 3am this morning in his house at Selayang, Selangor. He is the first of several leaders the police are looking for as a preventive move to stop the "Black 14" people's gathering scheduled for tomorrow.

According to Ruslan's assistant, who wished to remain anonymous, Ruslan was surfing the Internet when he heard his door bell ring.

"He looked outside and saw about 14 uniformed and plainclothes police officers surrounding his house," he said.

Ruslan was then told that he was wanted by the police. According to Ruslan's wife, the KeADILan organiser had asked the police under what charge he was arrested. However, the police insisted that he follow them to the police station for questioning.

Till now, Ruslan's family does not know where exactly Ruslan had been taken to.

Ruslan's assistant told malaysiakini that they had checked with the Rawang, Selayang and Gombak police stations, but all denied Ruslan was being detained there.

He said they had also contacted Bukit Aman police headquarters but Ruslan's family members were told that the police there did not have any information of the KeADILan leader's whereabouts. In 1998, Ruslan was detained under the Internal Security Act for about two months.

According to an AFP report today, the police director for internal security, Hamid Mustaffa, confirmed that Ruslan has been taken in for questioning.

Hamid did not say if he would be charged with any offence and he named six other leading KeADILan members who should report to their nearest police station immediately or face arrest.

Among them are Tian Chua, party vice-president, and Mohamad Ezam Mohamad Nor, youth wing chief.

Ezam was one of five opposition figures charged in January in an operation widely criticised overseas. He was accused of breaching the Official Secrets Act and is awaiting trial. Chua, who was a key figure in previous reformasi demonstrations, is also facing three trials for illegal assembly.