About 400 people held a gathering near the beach here to protest against the controversial Lynas rare earth plant despite police orders for the crowd to disperse.
The crowd, which included Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh and PKR vice-president Tian Chua had gathered at the Teluk Chempedak beach for an hour at 6pm on Sunday before Kuantan OCPD ACP Mohd Jasmani Yusoff arrived and told them it was an illegal assembly.
He said the organisers did not obtain a permit and their activities were disturbing the peace.
However, Fuziah claimed that the gathering was to celebrate Mothers’ Day.
“Mothers will do anything to protect their children. The Lynas issue will plague future generations and this is where mothers must come in to defend their children,” she said.
The crowd also lit candles and shouted slogans. No arrests were made.
The crowd thinned out at about 9.30pm. However, some of them started selling protest t-shirts despite an earlier police warning not to do so.
Organising chairman Vincent Jiam denied holding the gathering. He added that word about yesterday’s gathering was spread through the social media network several weeks ago.
Pahang MCA chief Datuk Seri Dr Liow Tiong Lai criticised the gathering, saying that it was a political act.
“The people are clearly being exploited by the Opposition to discredit the independent review panel’s efforts.
“I urge the people to be rational and not allow themselves to be used by others for political motives,” he said, adding that the Government was aware and listening to the people’s concerns over the plant.
