Friday 13 June 2008

Police To Stop Protest Procession From Kg Baru Mosque To Petronas Towers

Police may have to close the road leading to the Kampung Baru Mosque after the Friday Prayer today following the planned procession by certain groups from the mosque to the Petronas Twin Towers to protest the fuel price hike announced by the government last week.

Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Datuk Wira Muhammad Sabtu Osman said between 1,500 to 2,000 members of the security forces from the police, People's Volunteer Force (Rela) and Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) would be placed on alert to stop the procession.

"Personnel from the Dang Wangi District Police Station and Sentul will also maintain security in the area. We will close several roads leading to the (mosque) area if necessary," he said.

He said the organisers of the procession did not apply for a permit from the district Police Chief but instead sent a letter to inform about the procession, according to a Bernama report.

Meanwhile, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim confirmed that the PKR Youth wing and members of several non-governmental
organisations(NGOs)would march from the Kampung Baru Mosque to the
Petronas Twin Towers after Friday Prayer to protest against the petrol price hike.

In KOTA BAHARU, Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat
described the federal government's moves in tackling the oil price hike as `not smart' because the approach taken had posed a big burden on the people.

He said that as an oil producing country, the government had other options to stave off the effects of the global rise in oil price without having to increase the prices of petrol and diesel.

"I understand we have oil reserves for the next 20 years and natural gas reserves for 35 years. So, why not use cheaper resources such as the natural gas for vehicles (NGV).

"Besides being cheap,(natural) gas can also reduce air pollution. Why ignore this option and take the easy way out by raising petrol price and let the people suffer," he said at a media conference at his residence in Pulau Melaka.


Nik Aziz, who is also the PAS spiritual leader, said the federal government must be more serious in increasing the number of petrol stations selling gas throughout the country.

The government announced an increase of 78 sen in the price of petrol to RM2.70 per litre on June 7, which was an increase of 40 per cent from the previous price of RM1.92 per litre.

In KUCHING, Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu said the state government would study the implementation of the oil subsidy system on users of long boats with outboard motors and generators in longhouses in the interior areas following the oil price increase.

He said that like the subsidy given to fishermen and public transport operators who were given the Fleet Card to buy subsidised oil, the suggestion to give subsidy to owners of long boats using outboard motors and generators in longhouses was also being considered by the government

"The Prime Minister who came to Sarawak recently had agreed that the granting of subsidy to owners of outboard motors in the rural areas and users of generators in longhouses be studied in detail before implementation," said Alfred Jabu, who is also the Sarawak Rural Development Minister, at a media conference here.

In IPOH, the Perak Consumers Association (PCA) advised consumers to be more
resourceful in facing the price increase of goods.

Its president, Abd Rahman Said Alli, said consumers should compare prices before
purchasing and to bargain for better prices from sellers.

In addition, he advised consumers to prioritise spending by buying only necessary goods and avoid impulse buying."Consumers can also return a product within 10 days of purchase if they changed their mind about buying it," he said.

"Don't blame the government (for the price increase), it's out of their control," he said while adding that consumers should take their own initiatives in curbing the increase by being more careful in their spending.

Commenting on the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad's statement that the government was expecting a chain reaction to the new petrol price, Abd Rahman said that this would only encourage sellers to increase their prices. ---Bernama

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

i was at TTDI pasar malam last Sunday. The laksa kuala perlis that I bought two weeks before at RM2.50 have become RM3!!

and only now Shahrir is talking about chain reaction of price increase!

Anonymous said...

if you want to protest, have it at putrajaya not klcc.

petrol price is control by the government not petronas.

Unknown said...

For everyone who is STILL planning to go for the so called protest, please be aware that there ARE still Malaysians who value peace in our beloved country. Demos and protests are not the answer, I hope the leaders involved can find better ways to make their voices heard. Think of th emassive chaos it would cause for the city centre. Please lah weh be more sensitive.