Six people arrested during a squatters' demonstration two years ago were given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal by the Shah Alam Magistrate's Court today.

The six were Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) pro-tem chairman Dr Nasir Hashim, secretary-general S Arutchelvan, central committee member V Selvam, committee members S Kumaravel and P Radavan and Keadilan vice-president Irene Fernandez.

Magistrate Muhamad Bukhari Abdul Hamid allowed the discharge not amounting to acquittal afer a request was made by the prosecuting officer, Chief Inspector Vijayan.

The six were arrested during a demonstration on June 28, 1999, that involved 55 squatters of Kampung Sungai Nipah in Shah Alam, Selangor, protesting against the demolition of the residents' homes.

Arutchelvan told reporters outside the courtroom that the charges made against the six were 'faulty'.

"We objected to the police making those charges against us as there were no specifics mentioned in the charge sheet and they never said what kind of offence was committed," Arutchelvan said.

Defective

On April 13, Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin allowed a reformasi activist, Goh Keat Peng, a discharge not amounting to acquittal after he found that the charge against Goh was not specific enough and therefore "defective and bad in law".

On May 15, Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua and reformasi activist Abdul Malek Husin were also given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal on the same grounds.

Under the Police Act 1967, the police have to specify the nature of the offences for those arrested under Section 27 which deals with police power to regulate assemblies, meetings and processions.

Offenders can be fined up to RM10,000, jailed up to a year, or both.