The ministry of home affairs cited potential law and order problems -- the same reason given by police in turning down the original application -- and the fact the request was filed by an individual.

Jeyaretnam, the first person to break the People's Action Party's monopoly in parliament, and one of only three opposition MPs in Singapore, faces bankruptcy which would end his political career.

One of the organisers of the Save JBJ Rally, James Gomez, said Mar 31 a new application would now be filed under the name of an organisation.

The home affairs ministry, which has agreed to consider a request by an organisation, said it would also want an assurance there would be sufficient resources "to maintain an orderly conduct."

Organisers will be "held accountable for any breach of the peace arising from the private event," and they must refrain from soliciting funds, the ministry said.

Gomez, executive director of the reformist group Think Centre, said the new application would comply with the conditions to proceed with the rally in a stadium here.

But he also wanted clarification of points which the organisers saw as an infringement of civil rights.

"We are working towards getting the rally off the ground," Gomez told AFP.

"But at the same time, we will also have parallel queries to clarify certain issues that need to be addressed."

Among them is why it is necessary for an organisation, not an individual, to apply for a permit, and whether a permit is needed to sell Jeyaretnam's book as well as stickers and T-shirts during the rally.

Jeyaretnam, the leader of the Workers Party, is on the edge of losing his seat in the legislature after the High Court dismissed a petition for the stay of a bankruptcy order against him.

The 74-year-old politician is left with the Court of Appeal as his last avenue to explore. A final bankruptcy ruling will disqualify him from politics.

He was declared bankrupt after missing instalments of a S$235,000 (US$131,000) award to leaders of the local Indian community who successfully claimed they were defamed in a 1995 Workers Party article.

A recent US report on human rights in Singapore, which cited cases against Jeyaretnam, said government leaders "historically have utilized court proceedings, in particular defamation suits, against political opponents and critics.

"These suits, which consistently have been decided in favor of government plaintiffs, have chilled political speech and action."