KUALA LUMPUR, 22 FEBRUARY, 2012: Himpunan Hijau 2.0 rallies which had been scheduled to be held in Kuantan and Kuala Lumpur on Feb 26 will also be held in three other cities and township in the country.

The organizers of the “In Solidarity with Himpunan Hijau 2.0” rally in protest against the Lynas rare earth plant in Gebeng , Kuantan this Sunday announced today that Bukit Merah, Georgetown and Kota Kinabalu will also be holding the rally.

The assemblies in the five cities are co-organized by Asalkan Bukan umno (ABU), Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH), Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM), Malaysian Civil Liberties movement (MCLM), National Indian Advancement Team (NIAT), Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM), Cultural Development Centre (LLG) and several other organizations.

Making the announcement, ABU secretariat S Arutchelvan said that the assemblies outside Kuantan is a way of showing support in solidarity to the Himpunan Hijau 2.0 in Kuantan.

Arutchelvam (right), who is also Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) secretary-general, said the rallies in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Perak and Sabah are alternative gatherings for the public who cannot go to Kuantan.

“We hope, with the announcement of these three new places, it will help the people who cannot make their presence in Kuantan,” Arutcehlvam told a press conference.

He also announced that in Kuala Lumpur, the gathering will take place in Maju Junction, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman from 9:30am to 12pm.

In Perak, the gathering will take place in front of ARE old site in Bukit Merah at 11am onwards.

Meanwhile, in Penang, the gathering will start at 6pm at the Speakers Square, Esplanade.

In Sabah, the gathering will take place in Tanjung Aru Beach, Kota Kinabalu from 4pm onwards.

During the press conference, the organizers urged for the public to attend the gathering to protest against the temporary operating license (TOL) that have been issued for the Lynas in Gebeng.

Meanwhile, Jayanath Appudurai (left) from SABM said that the Lynas is a nationwide issue that will affect many lives all over Malaysia.

“It’s time for rakyat to speak up, time for us to gather in solidarity for future generations and ourselves,” said Jayanath.

Jayanath also said that the government should only have to work on transparency, accountability and other things but also must safe guard the environment as well.

“This is the principle of good governance, it’s about stewardship. It means that the people in power are duty bound to make sure they safeguard the environment as well as take care of our assets,” he said.

Zulkaranain Abdullah of PRM urged the Barisan Naisoal government to surrender to the people’s demand and cancel the Lynas plant project.

“The government must realize that we are not kids who can be bought with sweets and promises,” said Zulkarnain.

“BN/Umno who all this while been busy gaining profits for their cronies and all must start to listen to what rakyat really wants, that is important for them. Use the 12th Ggeneral election as a reminder of what might come their way,” he added.

 
- mD