Rock blasting work at the Bolton Surin project site in Tanjung Bunga on 14 May. The blast sent a rock flying; it landed on the slope and then rolled down to hit a tree, shaking it violently, according to an eye-witness. A resident in the area managed to capture the blasting on video.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s comments that Penang state exco members would be asked to declare their assets as soon as possible is reassuring. It shows that the state government is still thinking about it – more than one year after the general election. Guan Eng says that he is now mulling over the best method of doing so. It’s all quite simple, really. Just get them to list their assets (as well as their immediate family’s) on a sheet of paper and to declare that the list is a true and fair representation of their net worth. Get these declarations audited by an independent firm.
2150: Two more have been arrested: Nga’s driver, Haridas, and Taiping councillor Simon Uthaya Kumar.
Scenes from around Wisma DAP, Ipoh this morning – Photos by Kinta Kid So what’s all this about? Arrest and release, arrest and release…. Increasingly, it appears as if all these arrests – over 160 in recent weeks – are aimed at frustrating civil society and opposition activists and their attempts to legitimately raise public awareness especially over the power grab in Perak. By no stretch of the imagination can those arrested be deemed a threat to security. And since when has fasting become an offence? (Add this to the lengthening list of don’ts and tak bolehs we now have.) That’s the question posed by Aliran president P Ramakrishnan: Aliran is terribly perturbed by the increasing role the police are assuming which is perceived to be undemocratic and very unfair. They have intervened whenever peaceful activities such as candlelight vigils are organised by civil society groups.
1635: All 14 of those arrested have now been released on personal bail.