KL activists lose court appeal

KL activists lose court appeal

MALAYSIA: Highest court in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday rejected a bid by four opposition activists to disqualify a judge who upheld their detention without trial.

Lawyers for the four men argued that High Court Judge Augustine Paul might have acted in bias last April when he endorsed the use of the Internal Security Act to detain the activists, two of whom are top leaders in the opposition National Justice Party.

Paul is best known for conducting the corruption trial of jailed former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.

The decision means that the four activists will remain indefinitely in the Kamunting detention camp, where they were sent several weeks after being arrested in early April.

Authorities have accused the detainees of plotting to overthrow Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad through violent protests. --AP