Some 250 people joined the Himpunan Rakyat Cameron (HRC), yesterday morning, amidst heavy police presence, to protest various environmental issues in the mountain resort district.
The rally was held to protest, among others, rampant forest clearing, in particular for the construction of the Ulu Jelai hydroelectric dam.
Himpunan Rakyat Cameron secretary Suresh Kumar said participants dressed in green flooded the Cameron Highlands District Council (MDCH) car park by 11am and turned it into carnival.“There were speeches, songs, banner signing and drama performance. The participation of locals and outsiders in HRC formed a carnival kind of atmosphere,” he said of the one and a half hour rally.
He was pleased that the area’s Orang Asli community participated in a Cameron Highlands protest for the first time, saying it was a sign that “the oppression is no longer acceptable”.
“Three batins or the village chiefs of the villages near the Ulu Jelai hydroelectric dam were present to participate and voice out their problems due to the dam construction,” he said in a statement today.
He added the heavy presence of police and RELA officers did not scare the participants.
At the end of the rally, Suresh read out their declarationdemanding the government to stop the dam project, and to stop allowing farming activities to pollute Kuala Terla water catchment area, among others.
Others present at the rally included opposition party members and environmental activists.
Suresh also praised Cameron Highlands OCPD Zahari Wan and MDCH for giving full cooperation to the organisers.
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