KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 — Thirteen PAS supporters won a reprieve today when the Taiping High Court granted them a stay on their two-year jail sentences for rioting in front of Istana Iskandariah four and a half years ago as thousands of people protested the swearing-in of Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir as Mentri Besar.

Judicial commissioner Ahmad Nasfy Yasin also allowed those convicted to pay the RM5,000 fine imposed by the Kuala Kangsar Sessions Court within six months.

The protesters were found guilty last week of participating in the “Ops Bubar” assembly under Section 45 of the Penal Code, which refers to “joining or continuing in an unlawful assembly, knowing that it has been commanded to disperse”.

They were slapped with two-year jail sentences and RM5,000 fines in default of five months’ jail each after Sessions Court Judge Norsalha Hamzah ruled that the defence had failed to raise any reasonable doubt over the prosecution.

The court had also refused a stay of execution, and the sentence will start from today.

According to reports, the 13 had laid down on the road, hurled stones and water bottles in a bid to stop a convoy of cars from entering the palace compound during an emotionally charged day triggered by the unexpected fall of the 11-month-old Perak Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government.

On that day — February 6, 2009 — Zambry was sworn-in as the 11th Perak menteri besar before Sultan Azlan Shah, even as chaos ruled the streets outside the gates of the palace in the usually-quiet royal town of Kuala Kangsar.

Zambry was selected to head BN’s charge in Perak after three PR assemblymen — two from PKR and one DAP woman — left their respective parties to become BN-friendly independents.

Riot police faced down a group of over 5,000 PR supporters who marched towards the palace across the Perak River after Friday prayers to show their support for PAS’s Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin, the man whom they felt was still the legitimate menteri besar.

Riot police charged at the crowd and at one point a pitched battle was being fought between the two sides.

Round after round of tear gas was fired, injuring scores including a 10-year-old boy who fainted, as a convoy of vehicles carrying BN leaders, including then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was trying to enter the palace grounds.