In addition to the anti-Lynas Himpunan Hijau 2.0 rally to be held in Kuantan on Sunday, several more rallies will be held nationwide in a show of solidarity with the cause.
"We have urged a lot of people to go to Kuantan this Sunday because that's where we think the main event is, but then there are also a lot of people who cannot go to Kuantan.
"So there will be solidarity events in other parts of the country," said Parti Sosialis Malaysia secretary-general S Arutchelvan at a press conference yesterday.
The concurrent rallies nationwide against the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (Lamp) will be held at:
Maju Junction at Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur, from 9.30am to noon. Speaker's Square in Esplanade, Penang, at 6pm. In front of the former site of the Asian Rare Earth factory in Bukit Merah, Perak, at 11am. Tanjung Aru Beach in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, at 4pm. Arutchelvan added that any other parties wishing to organise their own solidarity events are welcome to do so.
Himpunan Hijau 2.0 steering committee member Clement Chin welcomed the support from various quarters, saying that it was a huge encouragement for Pahang residents, who he said have become resigned to the fact that Lamp will commence operations soon.
"Himpunan Hijau, I believe, is everybody's platform. It belongs to the whole nation of Malaysia. It belongs to every citizen who cares for the environment, who cares for the right to live in a safe environment, so we must come together and express our concern against environmental injustices," he added.
Also present at the press conference were representatives from Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement, People's Green Coalition, Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia, the National Indian Advancement Team, LLG Cultural Development Centre and Parti Rakyat Malaysia.
Other groups supporting the rally include Perak Anti-Radiation Committee , Bukit Koman Anti-Cyanide Committee , Suara Rakyat Malaysia and Save Jalan Sultan Committee.
The rallies are held to oppose Lamp, which was awarded a temporary operating licence on Jan 30.
Detractors fear its radioactive waste would affect the health of residents living nearby as well as the environment.
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