‘Four acres for Deepavali’ campaign launched’

Although campaign was peaceful, the police instructed the Bukit Jalil residents and their supporters to remove their banners and did not allow them to use a loudhailer.

FULL REPORT

KUALA LUMPUR: The residents of Bukit Jalil launched their “Four Acres for Deepavali” campaign in Brickfields here today.

The launching was officiated by Lembah Pantai MP and PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar.

Also present were PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan, Hindraf Makkal Sakthi national coordinator K Balakrishnan, National Interlok Action Team (NIAT) chairman Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim and Bukit Jalil estate action committee secretary S Thiakarajan.

However, their programme was stopped short by the police who told them not to address the crowd with loudhailers but later allowed them to do so for five minutes.

The 41 families living in the former estate area are currently embroiled in a tussle with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) as the latter is poised to evict them from the land.

After losing their case at the High Court and the Court of Appeal, the residents’ fate now rests in the hands of the Federal Court.

‘Give them the land, Najib’

Earlier, about 30 residents erected a booth at the pedesterian walk to raise awareness of their plight.

They were also raising funds for the cause by selling Deepavali greeting cards, badges and T-Shirts.

Speaking at a press conference later, Arutchelvan said a police officer told the residents to remove their banner but they did not comply.

“They said the banner was seditious. But I asked him what is so seditious about asking people to save the estate land and he kept mum,” he said.

Nurul, in the meantime, called upon Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to grant the residents the four acres of land as they have toiled for the country for generations.

“The estate workers contributed so much for nation building. In my view, the four acres of land they are asking for is not much as compared to their sacrifice,” she said.

Thasleem, however, was more vocal on his calls saying as a Muslim, Najib should be just and ensure the residents’ request are met.

“If you (Najib) fail to heed the plight of the poor, your government will fall in the next general election,” he said.