A ‘victim’ of the RM60 billion Refinery and Petrochemicals Integrated Development (Rapid) project is determined to walk 504km from Pengerang to the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, to seek a meeting with the CEO.
Apart from demanding an explanation from the oil and gas company for its decision to clear and relocate cemeteries in Pengerang, he also wanted to raise public awareness on the fate of the people who were allegedly forced out from their homeland and losing the graves of their ancestors.
The Pengerang NGO Alliance acting chairman Chua Peng Sian, 49, who calls himself the “toothless man,” personally initiated the long walk to KL to meet CEO Tan Sri Shamsul Azhar Abbas.
However, he is backed by his group which constantly updates his condition on its Facebook page. At the meantime, members of the public who were touched by his determination also rendered him their support along the way.
Chua’s journey to the capital city kicked-off two days ago and he is scheduled to reach the Petronas Twin Tower on June 12.
After walking for a total of 118.6km in rain and hot sun during the last two days, he arrived in Johor Bahru last night.
Since the long journey on the first day (78.3km) was beyond his physical limit, he walked on sore legs while suffering from waist pain, his old troubles, yesterday, Oriental Daily News reported.
However, he was still in high spirit, saying, “Apart from suffering from sore legs and waist, my spirit and physical strength are still intact.”
The Kota Tinggi District Officer Mohd Noorazam Osman had ordered six Chinese cemeteries to be closed since January to make way for the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex (PIPC).
The relocation exercise involves some 3,400 graves, scheduled to take place in March.
The Pengerang people could heave a sigh of relief when four villages obtained an injunction from Johor Bahru High Court to stop the relocation exercise before the court decides on their civil suit against the state government on June 5.
Foreign worker abducted by 10 bandits at mamak
Ten bandits abducted a Bangladeshi worker from a mamak restaurant in Selangor and extorted RM20,000 from his employer last month, China Press revealed in its exclusive report today.
According to the report, four Malays and six Bangladeshis went into the restaurant and abducted the 26-year old, who was having tea with two friends, in front of other diners.
They then fled the place in a Proton Waja and a Proton Gen 2. However, two among the six Bangladeshi bandits conveniently dropped their passports on the floor, giving the police a crucial lead to track their whereabouts.
Two days after, the police managed to find the duo and arrested the other four Bangladeshis at another apartment.
The four Malay kidnappers, who might have learned about the arrests, released the victim the next day. He then took a bus home and lodged a police report.
The police, now still looking for the four who are believed to be the main bandits, are investigating the case under Clause 365 of the Criminal Law.
