Pakatan not totally against Rapid

Contary to what its Johor chief Chua Jui Meng says, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim paints a different picture.

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Rakyat clarified that it is not rejecting outright the Petronas Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (Rapid) in Pengerang, Johor, but rather its implementation, which is said to affect the livelihood of residents there.

“We have had some confusion over this matter, and our combined decision policy-wise is that we do not reject any development, but the implementation of Rapid has gone against our principles,” Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim told reporters after he chaired the weekly Pakatan leadership council meeting.

Anwar explained that Pakatan simply wanted a stop work order on the Rapid project, pending the settlement of several issues.

“We need a re-settlement plan that is fair, you don’t demolish existing villages and graveyards. We also have to ensure safety and environment. The Detailed Environment Impact Assessment was not fully observed…,” he said.

Anwar’s clarification comes after PKR Johor chief Chua Jui Meng vowed during a protest in Pengerang that Pakatan would abolish the RM60 billion project should it come into power after the next general election, a stance apparently not shared by all of his Pakatan allies.

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