Feb 18 for decision to allow Uthaya's appeal

Jailed Hindraf leader P Uthayakumar will find out whether he would be given a chance to have his appeal on his sedition charge allowed and his 30-month jail sentence suspended on Feb 18.

Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Azman Husin set the date today after hearing submissions from Uthayakumar's lawyer M Manoharan and Deputy Public Prosecutor Noorin Badaruddin for over four hours on whether to allow Uthayakumar's appeal.

Uthayakumar, who is currently serving time in Kajang prison after being found guilty by the Sessions Court last June for penning a seditious letter to former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2007, was seated beside Manoharan at the lawyer's bench during the proceedings and working on his own submissions.

Now clean shaved and bald, he appeared calm and waved to the public gallery full of his supporters.

Manoharan (above) has asked for the appeal to be allowed on grounds that there was a "miscarriage of justice" and "double jeopardy" in the Sessions Court trial and the sedition charge itself.

Both the arguments were vehemently protested by Noorin, who said the defence was generously using "loose terms" and "misleading" the court.

[More to follow]