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16 Jerit activists arrested; police road-blocks in Johor

Anil Netto
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1428: More than 50 cyclists and Jerit activists have been stranded in a bus for more than two hours along with a lorry carrying their cycles in the Skudai, Senai area as traffic has come to a stand still.  A 20-minute journey has become a two-hour journey as there are police blocks everywhere, reports Kohila from Jerit. Police have blocked many areas in their attempt to get rid of the Jerit southern team, she adds. Armed police were spotted near the Senai road and also near the toll.  Only the Jerit bus, lorry and accompanying cars were stopped. Police have also been filming and snapping pictures almost non-stop.

1202: All the activists have been released by noon and the ICs of the cyclists have been returned. But police don’t want any Jerit supporters cycling in Skudai, so the team will be moving to Kulai after lunch.

0937: Reports of a situation emerging at the Suaram office in Johor Baru…

Around 16 Jerit campaign organisers have been arrested just before their southern cycling team was due to begin their journey to Parliament this morning. Police also raided the Suaram office and took down the particulars of the cyclists.

For more details, enquiries and appeals, contact the Skudai district police headquarters at 07-556 1222.

So candlelight vigil cannot, cycling also cannot…

Meanwhile, the northen region cycling team, after their encounters with the police yesterday, are due to hand over a memorandum to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng at the Traders Hotel at around 1.00pm. The cyclists are now ready to roll in George Town as police keep a watchful eye.

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A snatch theft victim in hospital; Paula’s bail extended

Anil Netto
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I am just back from visiting a friend in hospital in Penang today – a snatch theft victim.

She was walking home to her flat after work at 7.30pm a couple of nights ago when someone on a motobike sped up and suddenly tugged at her handbag slung over her shoulder. It didn’t come off easily and she lost her balance, fell to the ground and was dragged on the rough tar road for a bit (ouch!).

She won’t be able to walk for a week (but thank God, no fractures or concussion).

This is not improving my perception of the crime rate – and it’s going to get worse with the economy sliding downhill next year.

Meanwhile, Paula Khoo, the singer-guitarist-emcee who was arrested at a Penang Abolish ISA vigil a few weeks ago, continues to face uncertainty.

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Good news! Bicycles freed… but no “perarakan” allowed

Anil Netto
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You will be pleased to hear that the Jerit bicycles, yes bicycles, have been released.  I guess they were innocent after all, poor bikes – and it’s all systems go for tomorrow.

So with that, the cyclists are expected to hand in a memorandum to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng tomorrow at around 12.30pm in Komtar.

Sungai Siput MP Jeyakumar Devaraj spent most of this afternoon negotiating with senior police officers in Penang. “I told them, come on-lah, there are so many criminals around for you to deal with; just let our cyclists do their thing and they won’t cause any problem,” he said over the phone.

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Penang gov’t backs Jerit cyclists but police block them

Anil Netto
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The Jerit cycling team have again be stopped, this time at a police road-block in Penang.

They were them that they would not be allowed to do any cycling in Penang and could be arrested if they did. A lorry carrying the bicycles has been brought to the Teluk Kumbar police station.

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Jerit cyclist freed on police bail

Anil Netto
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Jerit campaign cyclist Ruben s/o Loganathan was freed on police bail at 7.50pm yesterday.

The Jerit cycling team from the north are now on the way to Penang. Tomorrow, they are due to hand over a memorandum to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng at 12.30pm in the Komtar foyer in front of Maybank.

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Jerit campaign cyclist arrested near Kulim

Anil Netto
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Just received word that one of the 45 Jerit cyclists on the way from Alor Star to KL via Penang has been arrested in the small village of Merbau Pulas near Kulim this evening.

According to Sungai Siput MP Jeyakumar Devaraj, Ruben was detained for distributing leaflets which did not indicate the Jerit office address. Leaflets are supposed to bear the publisher’s name and address. The Jerit leaflets only displayed the Jerit website address, the Jerit email, and the Jerit office phone number.

But the Jerit website shows the Jerit office address.

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Out-of-touch Najib wants poor to buy laundry dryers

Anil Netto
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Political economist Andrew Aeria has sent in this comment, which I think reveals how out of touch Najib is with the hard reality facing low-income families in the country:

First, petrol price increase. He said: Change your lifestyle.

Then, crime: Change your perception.

Now, laundry drying: Change your habit by buying a dryer or dry your laundry downstairs.

This guy has no inkling of the life of ordinary people. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and he has never known privation or hunger. So, when he talks, his ideas and suggestions are all in tune with his privileged world-view of his own creature comforts. Does he think everyone living in a high-rise can afford a laundry dryer?

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Petrol price – subsidy, levy or free float?

Anil Netto
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Blog reader Sam Gopal has this to say:

Anil,
You have been advocating strongly for a STRONG and WORLD CLASS public transport system. At this very time you are asking the Government to lower petrol prices. Lowering petrol prices will only make the public go back to using their cars even more. I think the push is for the Government to maintain a levy of petrol and then use this MONEY effectively to IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION system. Lets not jump into the bandwagon and simply oppose for the sake of opposing.

On the other hand LGE is making ludicrous demands of giving RM6,000 per family using PETRONAS money. Seriously, why can’t he talk about using this money to improve public infrastructure? The very thing China is doing, pumping in USD600 BILLION plus to improve infrastructure, and not handing out money to its citizens just like that, where ther is NO Return On Investment, except paying for more imports with this sort of money handed out.

To clarify, I am not advocating a total peg to the market price. So while a price of around RM1.50/litre might be the real market price price based on the current global market price for crude and the historical trend (as Penang CM Lim Guan Eng has suggested), it might not be prudent to use that price. A price reduction, yes (to provide immediate relief for people affected by the slowing economy), but not a total free float.

I believe in the long run, we need to tax fossil fuels, which are a polluting, non-renewable resource. This could take the form of a small levy to invest in renewable energy (solar, for instance), public transport and other conservation projects. Such a levy should accompany immediate significant improvements in public transport – but so far, all the past promises of improved public transport have not materialised. This levy must go into a special “green fund”, which must be carefully and transparently managed.

Only problem is I don’t think it’s possible to have such a transparently managed fund under this administration; if the fund is not managed properly, the money could so easily be squandered in dishing out inflated contracts to cronies, as we all know. It is risky to talk about pumping in billions into infrastructure when we know there are many “leakages” along the way. Public spending should be for the widest possible public benefit and not just to profit some big-time crony contractors.

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Abolish ISA Mass prays for police too; RPK defends site

Anil Netto
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The Power of Prayer: The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Pulau Tikus, Penang earlier tonight while an Abolish ISA Mass was being held.

A crowd of a hundred attending the Wednesday night Abolish ISA Mass was urged by parish priest Fr Marshall Fernandez to pray for law enforcers as well as the ISA detainees. He stressed it was important for the police to clean up their act and wipe out any corruption in the force.

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Does RM1.90/litre for petrol sound right?

Anil Netto
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Let’s update the chart which Ong Eu Soon prepared:


 Petrol price Global crude

RM/litre US$/barrel
01/10/00 1.20 35
20/10/01 1.30 20
01/05/02 1.32 26
31/10/02 1.33 28
01/03/03 1.35 31
01/05/04 1.37 38
01/10/04 1.42 47
05/05/05 1.52 48
30/07/05 1.62 57
26/02/06 1.92 63
05/06/08 2.70 120
17/11/08 2.00 55
2/12/08 1.90 48
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