Engaging the people for the future of Cameron Highlands - Malaysiakini

Engaging the people for the future of Cameron Highlands

Suresh Kumar 1:51PM Oct 22, 2012

Simon and I arrived at the assembly point at 7.45am. We had to tell the bus driver there that this place would be used for Himpunan Rakyat Cameron (HRC) and asked him to move his vehicle. That was the state of the car park three hours before the HRC event. Empty and clear.

But things changed around 11am. The Cameron Highlands District Council (MDCH) car park turned into a carnival place with the presence of 250 people to join the HRC.

The HRC went on well with the presence of the people, political parties and NGOs. Joined together with HRC were the DEMA (a students group from Universiti Sains Malaysia) and secondary school students from Cameron Highlands.
Their appearances were pretty creative. This showed that the HRC Committee was able to conduct the assembly smoothly, if allowed.

Many participants wore green coloured clothing as a symbol of the environment that needed to be preserved. Slogans, such as ‘Long live the people' and ‘Save Cameron' by the emcee, Choon Kai, motivated everyone. Headbands and green flags were also distributed to the participants.

The programme began at 11am and for the next one-and-a-half hours, there were speeches, songs, banner signing and drama performances. The participation of the local people and outsiders in the HRC brought about a carnival kind of atmosphere.

Their participation was definitely encouraging, compared with other programmes that we had organised. There were tables to display posters, banners and party newspapers. Flyers and mineral water were given free.

Banners on the struggle of the Cameron Highlands people and those on past activities were hung up at various parts of the area and the participants were also given the opportunity to write out their own placards.

Although many policemen and women and Rela members were positioned around our place of gathering, this did not put fear in the participants. The Cameron police cooperated well with the
organisers and there was no much trouble with the police.

In fact, the Cameron Highlands district police chief, DSP Zahari Wan, gave a ‘no objection' letter for the holding of the HRC a day before the rally, while the MDCH gave us permission to use the car park two days before the event.

Four representatives from Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) gave speeches on the failure of the traffic system in Cameron Highlands; the injustice of the Pahang government in granting land titles to Cameron residents; the construction of an construction in Blue Valley that will pollute the environment; and the problems of the Green Cow residents as a result of commercial projects.

The indigenous peoples, the Orang Asli of Cameron Highlands, also took part in our programme for the first time. The oppression against this community is no longer acceptable.

Three batin or village chiefs of the villages near the Ulu Jelai hydroelectric voiced out their problems as a result of the construction of the dam in Blue Valley.

The Save Malaysia Stop Lynas and Bukit Koman Anti-Cyanide Committee were also present to show their support for the HRC. These groups face problems as a result the profits given priority over the people and the environment.

All Pakatan Rakyat political parties, PKR, DAP and PAS, as well as PSM, took part to show support for the environment and the people of Cameron Highlands. PSM members came from as far as Johor, Negri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Perak and Penang.

The assemblyperson for Tras in Raub, Pahang, Chong Siew Onn, was also present to give support. Andansura represented PAS and he too gave a speech as the environment committee chairperson for Pahang PAS.

Individuals such as Vincent Jiam (Project Harvest of Hope), Dr Jayabalan (People's Green Coalition) and Anand Ang (activist from Sabah) were also present to support the HRC. Jayabalan warned that the rivers in Cameron were being polluted at an alarming rate.

I read our our declaration at the end of the HRC. This HRC was definitely the first step of the Cameron people to restore the people's right to make decisions on the future direction of Cameron Highlands.

If the government continues to act deaf, blind and mute to these issues, then more people will gather in other locations in Cameron Highlands to demand for a change.

This is the declaration I read out:

We the people of Cameron Highlands and Malaysia declare today:

We are against the forest clearings by big companies that are profit-conscious. Monitoring and enforcement against forest clearing should be free from corruption and political intervention.

We are against the construction of the hydroelectric dam in Ulu Jelai, which will destroy 300ha of forests and create lot of problem for the indigenous people there.

We are against farms operated above the water catchment area in Kuala Terla, which is causing serious water pollution. The use of pesticides, fertilizers and land clearing should not pollute the water.

We are against projects approved by the state government without considering the safety of the people, such as the project in Green Cow.

We want the government to consult with the people on the transportation system in Cameron Highlands that was almost crippled. Any solution to this problem should be discussed with the people before being implemented.

We are against the injustice of the Pahang state government in providing land ownership for housing, farms and stalls for the residents of Cameron Highlands. Priority should be given to the lower Income group, rather than to corporations and cronies.

We are against the construction and operation of the incinerator in Blue Valley to dispose of the wastes of Cameron Highlands. Replace the incinerator project with an environment-friendly recycling centre.

We are against projects that pollute the environment and are harmful to the people such as Lynas rare earths refinery in Kuantan, the gold mine in Bukit Koman and the petrochemical projects in Pengerang, Johor.