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Media Comment
by Ronnie Liu
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(Balakong, Sunday) :  Hundreds of residents from Bandar Mahkota Cheras, Selangor courageously broke the line formed by the FRU and marched to the Grand Saga Cheras 11th Mile Toll Plazas this morning to stage a protest against the toll hike as well as to mark their strong objection to the barricade which blocked the access road from the township since October last year.

A few hundred residents from BMC and Bandar Sg Long were unable to show up because they were blocked by the police at the road block. The police road block has caused a massive traffic jam at the only outlet from BSL/BMC this morning.

About 100 policemen (incl FRU) were there to control the crowd. I was informed by some residents that ASP Fauzi again showed his rudeness by holding on to his gun (he did not raise the gun though) besides shouting abusive words at Tan Boon Wah.

Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang was there to lend his support and solidarity to the residents of BMC. In his speech, he expressed his unhappiness with the Works Minister who promised him to resolve the barricade problem during the October Parliamentary session. Apparently, Samy has done nothing to honour his promise for the past two months. He can’t even fix a joint meeting for Grand Saga, the Lion Group, LLM and the BMC-OARAC.

He also criticised the PM for allowing the drastic toll hike and did nothing on the barricade issue to help the people of BMC. He said he will  seek a meeting with the PM to discuss about the toll hike and other burning issues concerning the welfare, civil rights and the interest of the rakyat.

Other DAP leaders who took turn to address the protestors were Tan Kok Wai, Fong Kui Lun, Teresa Kok and Teng Chang Khim. They have criticised the Umno-led BN Government for not taking care of the interest of the rakyat. Lee Cheng Jin of Parti Keadilan Rakyat has also given a short speech in support of the BMC residents.

Earlier, the Chairman of BMC- OARAC Tan Boon Hwa and I (as the advisor to the action committee) told the residents that the objective of today’s outing was two-pronged: to demand for the access to be opened immediately and to say no to the drastic toll hike.

The director of operation today was Ean Yong Hian Wah, the Selangor DAP Secretary. Other Selangor leaders who were there this morning include Yap Lum Ching, Peter Tan, Lau Weng San, Kuan Perk Siong, Lee Kee Hiong, Edward Pang, Lim Lip Eng, Lee Ah Seng, Chew Ah Peng, Lim Teong Heng, Francis Chang, Thomas Goh, T. Kannan and DAPSY leaders Lee Ying Har and Wong Leng Hang.

On behalf of the BMC-OARAC, I negotiated for an hour for the protest with the Kajang police. We ended today’s action with a symbolic throwing of bad eggs at the “toll gate” (with carricatures of Samy Vellu and AAB pasted on the mock-up ”toll gate “).

Samy and AAB sama-sama kena telur!!!

We also invite all Malaysians to take part in the planned anti-toll demonstration on Sunday 7 Jan 2007 at the Sunway LDP toll plaza (at 4 pm). The demonstration organised by Malaysian NGOs and opposition parties.

(31/12/2006)