Fearing loss of fortresses, BN cracks down on Pakatan ceramahs

Malaysia Chronicle

Police went all out to disrupt the Pakatan Rakyat at two ‘sensitive’ spots last night – in Johor and Perak - where chances are high that Prime Minister Najib Razak’s BN coalition will lose new ground at the next general election.

“Johor, the Felda and Felcra settlers are the last frontiers for the BN in the peninsula. They are what the BN fears losing the most. The BN is afraid Pakatan will capture their fortresses and this is why they have come all-out to thwart us,” PKR strategic director Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

Ambushed

On Saturday night,FRU personnel ambushed a dinner-talk in Rengit, Batu Pahat. They chased people away from the tables and even tore down the backdrop banners before Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and Johor PKR chief Chua Jui Meng could arrive.

“They are afraid the people will get the correct information from us,” Anwar later tweeted back.

Seven people were arrested, and at publication time, PKR information chief Latheefa Koya was still at the police station trying to secure their release.

“The police are deliberately being slow. There are a lot of supporters waiting outside and Jui Meng and Dr Syed Husin are with me. They have insisted on staying until everyone is released,” Latheefa told Malaysia Chronicle.

Rough police action

Hundreds of kilometres away at Changkat Lada, Pasir Salak, it was the nearly the same script. Around 8.30pm, police began blocking roads leading to the hall where the Himpunan Warga Felcra Peringkat Kebangsaan was being held, creating massive traffic congestion.

Felcra stands for Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority. It is a sister unit of land settlers' scheme Felda, which recently drew fire for running down its cash pile in exchange for questionable assets.

Deposed Perak Mentri Besar Nizar Jamaluddin dan Mazlan Aliman, head of the National Children of Felda Settlers' Association or Anak, had been scheduled to speak.

“To me this is a sign of fear, the BN is scared,” Mazlan told Malaysia Chronicle.

Earlier this month, Mazlan had promised to expose Felcra’s corruption at the Himpunan or Assembly on Saturday.

"I will expose incidents of embezzlement involving cow-herding and fish farming activities as well as land owned by Felcra in Boston, USA worth about RM5 million during the assembly," he said.