GEORGE TOWN: Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) members came out in force Tuesday to push the Penang government into using its executive powers to save Kampung Buah Pala.
And they plan to protest outside DAP offices in six states over the High Chapparal issue.
Some 20 members from Kuala Lumpur, Seremban and Penang congregated at Komtar with about 30 village residents to hand over a letter of appeal to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and express their reproach on alleged “broken promises”.
“Before the March 2008 general election, there were so many promises but now, everybody is keeping quiet.
“They tell us to take them to the national level, but they cannot even handle state problems.
“If they fail to save the village, Pakatan Rakyat’s objective has failed and we will know what to do in the next general election,” said Penang Island Hindraf Coordinator K. Kalaiselvam, 34.
Carrying Hindraf chairman S. Waythamoorthy’s seven-year-old daughter Vwaishhnnavi who held a handwritten letter of appeal addressed to Lim, Kalaiselvam led the delegation that arrived at Komtar at about 10.40am.
The group encountered a brief confrontation with Komtar security guards who instructed them to choose five representatives to hand over the letter.
Ten representatives were eventually allowed in to meet with Lim’s political secretary Ng Wei Aik who instructed police to allow the entire group to enter the tower and proceed to Auditorium A.
Ng addressed the crowd around 11am and tempers flared among the visiting group when they were informed Lim was engaged in previously arranged appointments.
“We faxed Lim a letter yesterday (Monday) morning and got no reply. He has been given every opportunity to meet with High Chaparral (as Kampung Buah Pala is commonly known) but until now, he has not even visited the village once. Why is he evading us?
“It has been 16 months since Pakatan Rakyat took power and until now, promises remain promises,” said Penang Hindraf advisor K. Maran, 48.
On Ng’s explanation that the state exco had formed a committee to investigate allegations of foul play on the transfer of the land in Bukit Gelugor on which the village stands, Vwaishhnnavi’s mother K. Shanti, 38, said that was “the state’s problem”.
“We are not interested the state forming committees. In two days time, the developers are coming to demolish the village.
“We voted Pakatan because we believed they would be better than the previous government. But there is no difference between Barisan Nasional and you,” she told Ng.
“If Pakatan fails to save the village, we will know what to do in the next general election,” she added.
Later, Lim said that the Penang Pakatan Rakyat government had never approved the demolition of Kampung Buah Pala.
He said any action taken was done by the private developer via a court order.
“We regret the unwarranted, highly irresponsible and irrational action of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) in targeting us over the eviction of the residents.
“Hindraf wants us to act against the court order obtained by the developer to evict the residents. We cannot do this as it is against the rule of law,” he said, adding that suggestions that the state forcibly acquired the land for public purpose under the Land Acquisition Act would be “playing into the hands of the developer”.
“Doing so would lead to the developer reaping enormous profits without putting in a single Sen.
“Cancelling the project would incur costs beyond the financial capability of the state government,” he said, chiding Hindraf for “not being able to distinguish who its friends and opponents are” and being blinded by rage and anger.
“Nonetheless, they have the right to hold a peaceful demonstration no matter how unreasonable it is. I have instructed my officials to accept any memorandum submitted and urge the police not to take and action that would lead to untoward incidents,” he said.
Lim said the state would not be affected by the actions of the residents turning against it and would continue to assist them.
The developer had offered compensation of up to RM200,000 per registered family which Lim said was accepted by “many”.
“But we respect the decision of the remaining residents who choose to fight it out in court. Had we not been sympathetic to their plight, the developer would have evicted them in the middle of last year when the court order was obtained,” he said.
Lim, who questioned whether the movement had been “infiltrated by Barisan Nasional collaborators”, also called on former Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon to give a full public explanation on why he sold the land at a “cheap price” of only RM10 per square feet and without consulting the residents.
Star Online
30/06/09
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