Council fences up anti-Lynas rally venue, Najib's transformation?

FMT Staff | February 23, 2012

Workers starting putting up a fence around Padang MPK1 this afternoon, ostensibly for upgrade works in preparation for the Sukma Games in July.

PETALING JAYA: The Kuantan local council has been accused of doing all that it can to stop an anti-Lynas gathering from taking place at the municipal field in Kuantan this Sunday.

First the council erected a notice board to announce that it was organising a futsal match at the field, also on Sunday.

On Monday, the council rejected an application by the Himpunan Hijau 2.0 organisers to use the Padang MPK1 for the gathering, saying that the organisers should first obtain approval from the police.

And today, it took its most outrageous step of all by building a fence around the field, totally blocking any public access to the field.

The council said that the fencing was part of a long overdue upgrading project in preparation for the Sukma Games in July this year.

Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh however is not buying this excuse made by the Kuantan council.

“As the date of the Himpunan Hijau 2.0 draws near, the local council seemed to have lost it’s calm and cool,” said Fuziah in a statement today.

“The council is behaving in an uncharacteristic manner, reflecting the desperation of some people who are possibly behind the drawing board of the state government,” she added.

The PKR vice-present, who is the most vocal critic of the Lynas rare earth plant in Gebeng – which falls under her Kuantan constituency, said she noticed the fence being put up earlier today and had contacted the council for clarification.

“The council’s public relations officer was quick to explain that the fence was put up to facilitate a project to upgrade the padang MPK1 for the Sukma event due in July. She also added that the work is already delayed as it is,” said Fuziah.

Fuziah also revealed that from her conversation with the workers hired by the council to put up the fence, she learnt that they were summoned only this afternoon from Temerloh for the work.

She said that the state government and the local council could have delayed the fence works until after the gathering this Sunday.

“There is no reason whatsoever for the local council not to give permission for the rally to take place. It’s best for the local council to approve the use of the padang for a peaceful rally in solidarity rather than let them walk on the streets in Kuantan,” she said.

The Himpunan Hijau 2.0 organisers believe that about 20,000 people would attend the gathering this Sunday. The first Himpunan Hijau gathering was held in October at Taman Gelora beach.