MORE PICS – MOTHER of TOLL HIKE Protest; SUNWAY PYRAMID, 07 Jan 07; Thousands Came; YOUNG & OLD- Vent ANGER; SHOUTED T O L – Tipu Orang Lagi

For the latest Protest on 21st JAN 07 (Cheras, 22 arrested); Go To H E R E on
For the latest on 14 JAN 07 (Bandar Sunway); Go To H E R E on

MORE PICS – TOLL HIKE PROTEST - Gombak Toll Plaza -14 JAN 07; HUNDREDS PROTESTED Despite RAIN; Also Call on Government to LOWER Fuel Prices & Other Tariffs

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UPDATE: Dc 08 2007; 21:30pm
Believe him or NOT feigning sympathy for the rakyat now
If we read closely Kit Siang’s statement, In 1987 he raised hell in parliament stating that the letter of intent to UEM “stinks to the skies, and appears to be an even greater scandal than the BMF scandal”. When. he took it to the court and with “six judges in my favour and four against, I still lost, and the people and country also lost “- not just over the UEM case but an important test case on public litigation to hold the government to public accountability for its decisions and actions. Kit should now do another challenge again as the courts were under cloudy skies then.

The first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman had weighed in on the issue in his weekly column, As I See It, writing: “I consider it improper and irregular for a leading political party to make use of its power to amass wealth at the expense of other business ventures” (The Star 24/8/87), with the then Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad responding: “We agree…but who is going to pay the $360 million for the Umno complex?”

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It was an orderly and peaceful affair and thousands indeed came. Merdeka review put the figure at more than 2,500 with Malaysiakini estimating more than a 1000 and the lowest was from the Sun- about 300 protesters but they had an inflated “3000 on lookers”

ABOVE & BELOW: At the entrance to Bandar Sunway Shopping Mall

Device your own “heads per 100 Square pixel” and estimate the crowd from the pictures. The noisy protest attracted a great deal of passerby’s interest that just has to stop and watch. Whatever the actual figures, this is by far the largest and the –Mother of All Toll Hike Protest” for this round. There would be many more to come for sure.

ABOVE & BELOW: The speeches and the crowd response


The police had kept watchful eyes of the proceeding and on numerous times confined the protesters on the sidewalk preventing them disrupting the busy road. A water cannon truck was on stand-by.

ABOVE & BELOW: The DAP Crowd

The protestors demanded the government reverse the increases and reveal agreements with highway operator. Riot police were ready and in full control of the situation. The tense situation came when the protesters wanted to march to the nearby toll plaza but the police were quick and prevented them from doing by surrounding them.

ABOVE & BELOW: The Keadilan Crowd

ABOVE & BELOW: Join efforts of PAS & Keadilan

It was a day for the professional and amateur shutterbugs taking pictures and videoing.

ABOVE: The FRU were also videoing the crowd and BELOW: Pictures were also taken

And the police were spotted doing the same - to keep a record of the faces doing the protest and using the video recording perhaps for future training on peaceful “crowd control”

Meanwhile, AFP reported the executive director of rights group Suaram, Yap
Swee Seng, as saying that protestors were seething over a lack of transparency in the concession deals."We are demanding the government make public the contents of the contracts and set up a commission to look into all these contracts," said Yap.

Anti-toll protest attracts big crowd; Charles Ramendran; SUN

ABOVE: Policemen and FRU personnel block off traffic from Pantai on the NPE and keep a watchful eye on the crowd during the protest in front of Sunway Pyramid.

ABOVE & BELOW: The Babies and children came along for early training as these toll increases will last a generation

PETALING JAYA (Jan 8, 2007): A group of about 300 people protested yesterday in front of the Sunway Pyramid shopping centre against the recent toll increases on five highways in the Klang Valley. The protesters, comprising members of opposition political parties, MTUC and residents, gathered at 4pm. Their presence attracted more than 3,000 onlookers, mostly weekend shoppers. About two dozen protesters spoke through loud hailers, criticising the toll increases. They also questioned the rationale of using taxpayers' money to compensate the highway concessionaires. About 150 policemen from the Subang Jaya district police headquarters and two truck-loads of Federal Reserve Unit members led by OCPD Mohd Fuad Talib and his deputy, Supt Jaafar Said, were present to control the crowd.

Although the gathering was held without a permit, police allowed the protesters to have their say for 30 minutes. However, soon after the time was up, the crowd marched to the main road and continued venting their displeasure for the next hour. The main road leading to SS15, Subang Jaya, was closed to traffic for about an hour. Police personnel watched patiently despite the unruly behaviour of several protesters who swore at the men in blue and posed a threat to traffic. "We were patient and allowed them to have their say. We are happy it went on smoothly without any untoward incident," said Jaafar after the crowd dispersed at about 6pm.

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逾2500 人和平集会约2小时 警民合作血腥星期天不重演 ■日期／Jan 07, 2007 ■时间／08:24:23 pm ■新闻／家国风云 ■作者／本刊林宏祥 【本刊林宏祥撰述】逾2500人在今日下午四时集聚双威金字塔（Sunway Pyramid）购物中心前近二小时，高举布条，随着发言领袖呐喊口号，向当权者传达讯息－－巴生谷五大道收费上涨后生活负担日益加重，人民已经无法负 荷，政府必须废除大道收费！ 这场由“反对过路费涨价行动委员会”（Protes）举办的和平集会吸引了超过2500人参与，其中更不乏停下来围观的路人。朝野党团领袖在双威金字塔购 物中心前发言近45分钟后，便与群众游行到双威金字塔外的新班底大道（New Pantai Express）旁，其中警方与镇暴队多次拦阻，惟参与者成功越过警队的人墙。 虽然集会开始前，多名警员已在集会地点戒备，却不见水炮车出现。惟当集会者游行到新班底大道旁的草原时，一辆水泡车与六辆载着镇暴队的卡车方赶到现场，封 锁一边的新班底大道，与集会者对峙，气氛一度紧张。 与去年反对燃油涨价集会经验不同的是，这一次镇暴队队伍中的首排是穿着制服、拿着警棍与盾牌的女性，与拉布条、不分族群的群众对峙。无论如何，警民双方都 克制自己，警察允许人民集会1小时45分钟，间中并没有发生不愉快的肢体冲突事件。 在集会与游行期间，许多路人都在双威金字塔购物中心外、衔接大道两端的天桥上围观，过路的汽车也鸣镝支持集会者的诉求。 值得一提的是，其中一名年迈的参与者，多次穿越警察阻拦的人墙，并一度在警察封锁的新班底大道上，攀越过另一端，向对面的支持者走去。集会者向他欢呼，并 笑封其为“宝刀未老”的Tongkat Ali（东革阿里）！ 在这次反对过路费涨价的集会中，在野党阵容庞大，除了反燃油涨价（Protes）的领袖如回教党署理主席纳萨鲁丁（Nasharudin Mat Isa）、总财政哈达蓝立（Hatta Ramli）、回青团团长沙拉胡丁（Salahuddin Ayub）、人民公正党全国宣传主任蔡添强、民主行动党非政府组织局主任刘天球、社会主义党总秘书阿鲁茨万（Arutchelvan）等，出席此次集会的 还包括人民公正党总财政卡立依布拉欣（Khalid Ibrahim）、砂拉越浮罗岸区（Padungan）州议员黄锦河、民主行动党雪兰莪双溪槟榔区（Sungai Pinang）州议员邓章钦、适耕庄区（Sekinchan）州议员黄瑞林、士布爹国会议员郭素沁等人。 群众高举写着“废除收费站”、“透明度已死”（政府拒绝公开大道合约内容）、“LDP＝Lingkup Duit Rakyat”（白蒲大道简称，扫完人民公帑）、“人民被折磨、朋党笑哈哈”、“人民不能再容忍BN不透明及不公平的政策”等字眼的布条，并以多幅工程部 长三美威鲁（Samy Vellu）的漫画肖像作讽刺。 另外，“反对过路费涨价行动委员会”主席、也是马来西亚职工会总会主席的赛沙希尔（Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud）带领喊口号：“T.O.L-Tipu Orang Lagi！（收费站简称，又骗人了！）”，哈达蓝立之后又以收费站简称TOL，改为“Tolak Orang Lemah（拒绝软弱的人）”，并呼吁人民拒绝无法控制大道收费的软弱首相阿都拉巴达威。 在这之前，在野党领袖多次重申警察也需要缴付涨价以后的过路费，希望警察专业处理“多次为警察请命的人民集会”。邓章钦在发言时更以2007年为马来西亚 观光年为理由，要求警方向旅客展示“马来西亚人民有集会自由”的良好印象，也确保此集会是警队能够“引以为荣”的典范。 邓章钦说：“警察必须证明他们能够好好处理此集会，不使用暴力驱散人群。我们人民被收费站侵犯了30多年，我们排队还过路费排了30多年，今天只是来向政 府传达不满过路费高涨的讯息！” 警察曾在去年5月28日以暴力驱散参与反对燃油涨价集会的人群，故有著名的“血腥星期天”（Bloody Sunday）。后来，马来西亚人权委员会（SUHAKAM）在党团抗议下，成立独立调查委员会，举办听证会来调查这起警察暴力事件，惟报告仍未公布。

Here is a gist of the translated Merdeka Review Report in Chinese

More than 2,500 people gathered peacefully for about 2 hours, held high banners, shouted slogans as leaders speak, -- to convey the message to those five Klang Valley Toll operators about rising burden of increased fee and unable to cope by the people. Government must abolish road charging. Organized by the "Anti Toll Coalition Committee", the protest attracted more than 2,500 people participating.

ABOVE & BELOW: The best decorated cartoons against the Toll Hikes

Many of them were watching pedestrians. The leaders of the opposition parties and other organizers spoke for about 45 minutes in front of the Pyramid shopping mall. Police and riot squads, which repeatedly blocked but participants reformed and formed the human wall facing the FRU Force. Before the rally began, a number of police officers were in the location of the meeting , but a water Gun vehicle was seen. When the rally started to march to the toll plaza, the riot squad cars and six trucks also rushed to the same area and formed a road blockade and confined the assembly next to an empty lot, the atmosphere was tense.

In any case, the police showed their restraint (unlike the anti-fuel hike protest the last time), and allowed people to say whatever they want to say for one hour and 45 minutes.

There were no untoward incidents but the occasional physical confrontations (ABOVE). Joining the assembly and procession were many pedestrians and shoppers in the Sunway Pyramid shopping mall. Passing vehicles also supported the protesters by honking.

The police blocked repeatedly the protesters but they managed to climb over the other side of the fence to cheers and laughter. In this rally to oppose the rise of toll prices; the opposition lineup included Muslim leaders of the party as acting chairman Nasharudin Mat Isa. Chief Financial Hatta Ramli ;

Ayub publicity director of the National People's Justice Party; Simon, director of the Democratic Action Party Secretary; non-governmental organizations; Socialist Party General Secretary ,Arutchelvan. Others attending include the party's general assembly Financial Khalid Ibrahim (ABOVE)and Tian Chua.

ABOVE & BELOW: The well said Messages on the placards against toll hike

People were holding placards with words "the abolition of toll stations", "transparency is dead" (The government refused to disclose the contents of contracts). "LDP = Lingkup Duit Rakyat" ; "People were tortured, friends laughingly." "People can no longer tolerate the BN opaque and unfair policy,”

The Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud led chanting slogans : "T.O.L- Tipu Orang Lagi! and TOL - "Tolak Orang Lemah. Prior to this, the leaders of opposition parties reiterated on many occasions that the people have to pay tolls after the price hikes. Other messages conveyed: "People of Malaysia have the right of assembly and freedom,” and expect a good impression of Police. "Police have to prove that they can handle this protest assembly, not to use violence to disperse the crowd”. Later, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) called for the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry hold hearings to investigate cases of police brutality, but is yet to publish its report.

== = == = == = from MSIAKINI Headline, Tan Sri says "BIG PAYMENTS" to people to justify toll hike. It is the same gang who arranged this biased toll agreements to share out the loot eventually.

He (Samy) still said it was important to increase (the toll charges), and I told him that he should resign (from cabinet) and go work for the company (instead),” said Anwar.

Following this, a ‘Tan Sri’ from the company sought an appointment with Anwar to appeal against the refusal to allow the toll hike. Anwar said he calculated the cost of running the highway with the ‘Tan Sri’ and realised that its operating cost included paying inducements to certain individuals.

“This ‘Tan Sri’ said he had to pay! Pay leaders and their families from Perlis to Johor,” he said. “(So I said to the ‘Tan Sri’) you pay these rotten crooks and bandits, you give them million of ringgit. And you expect me [minister of finance] to sign (the documents), so that the poor workers, teachers, farmers fork out the money for you to pay those crooks?” Anwar added.

Anwar claimed he refused to sign the documents allowing the toll increase. Subsequently after his sacking a year later - in September 1998 - the documents were signed by the government and toll rates for the unspecified highway was increased a month later, he said.

= = = == == UPDATE from – by ronnieliutiankhiew, January 5th, 2007

The Sun reporters sacked for exposing Litrak in 1999

I am reproducing this message sent to me today for readers of Colour-blind.

Both Ganesh Sahathevan and Alan Yeoh were sacked after writing several articles concerning Litrak, See Hoy Chan and EPF. Gamuda’s executive director Dato’ Lin Yun Ling happens to be the brother of Dr Lin See Yan, the former deputy Governor of Bank Negara. Tan Sri Ramon has responded to say that he only owns 1,000 shares and he bought the shares after retirement from civil service. We were not sure how much shares were owned by AAB and Napsiah Omar.

———- Forwarded message ———-
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1999 08:31:35 PDT; From: ganesh sahathevan
Subject: LDP Highway:A highway to Government indulgence

The owners of the privatised Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong(LDP), Lingkaran
Trans Kota Holdings Bhd (Litrak),have just announced that their revenue
is , and will continue to be higher then expected. It’s executive director and substantial shareholder,Dato Lin Yun Ling, has even announced that the company has a surplus of about RM 200 m in cash. All this after the Government agreed to pay Litark RM 85 million,at the height of the recession, in “compensation”, for revenues lost when the company agreed not to raise toll rates by RM0.50, as provided in the concession agreement with the Government. This “compensation” may sound fair, but one must consider the assistance that the Government has ALREADY provided the company.First, there was a RM535 million fixed rate loan from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), for a term of 13 years which even Lin Yun Ling described as “uncommon”; EPF normally lends for only 5-8 years. Then,there was a RM98 million loan at concessional rates. The rates have yet to be disclosed by the Finance Ministry. On top of all this there is also a RM 100 million grant to pay for land acquisition. Some analysts say that the RM 85 million the Government has given Litrak is actually in excess of the revenue that the company might have lost by its own estimates. The main beneficiary of the Government’s kindness has been Lin Yun Ling, whose Gamuda Bhd,constructed the LDP in a joint venture with Yusof Daud, for a cost of RM 600 million, or RM 40 million per km. In comparison,theNKVE only cost RM 10 million per km.Lin and Raja Elena of Perak are Gamuda’s two largest shareholders. What are the reasons for such special treatment? Perhaps the answer lies in Litrak’s shareholders.
The largest shareholder is now Gamuda, a company linked with Perak royalty and a number of ex-civil servants. Ministers Napsiah Omar, and Dollah Badawi are also shareholders as is former secretary general of the Treasury , Ramon Navaratnam. Then there is also Institut Kefahaman Islam (IKIM), various state bodies, and even Rating Agency Malaysia. Most mysterious of all shareholders is Litrak executive director, Haji Yussof Daud, who controlled , before listing, 51% of the company, via a company with a paid-up capital of only RM 100,000. He now controls about 30%. A more mysterious shareholder is one who controls 600,000 shares via a dormant, RM 2 company, whose directors are Gamuda finance managers.They in turn, report to Gamuda and Litrak director Saw Wah Theng. Saw is an alternate director to Lin on the Litrak board
For a detailed study of their Annuar Reports 2003-2006, Go H E RE

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More details from previous post on LDP TOLL AGREEMENT Exposed