Saga continues as barricades rebuilt – Bandar Mahkota, Cheras-Kajang Highway
Posted By Saimatkong on May 29, 2008 | 0 comments
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This issue has been going on for weeks I guess. Again Grand Saga Sdn Bhd rebuild the barricade to prevent access into Bandar Mahkota, Cheras area and force the residents there to use the toll which causes inconvenient to the residents of Bandar Mahkota as they have to drive about 10km via Bandar Sg Long road, which is a waste of fuel and recently the fuel subsidy also lesser and lesser which causes the petrol price to increase.
Aren’t that’s government land and they can’t because of their own benefit and they should think before they act? I think the authorities or the person or body that involved should stand up and discuss and solve the problem / issue. If not it wouldn’t end, the Grand Saga Sdn Bhd will continue to build and the angry and annoyed residents will think of a way to torn down the barricade and it will have no end to it.
Saga continues as barricades rebuilt
AN unfamiliar group turned up as “observers” as workers from Grand Saga Sdn Bhd, the concessionaire of the Cheras-Kajang highway, reconstructed the barrier at the access road in Bandar Mahkota Cheras yesterday.
Residents who were monitoring the work done by the workers said they were surprised by the presence of this third group.
The group comprising about 20 male individuals left at about noon and appeared again an hour later when the cement was being laid.
Some of the residents who were at the scene claimed the third group were likely “thugs” hired to deal with residents who might stop the workers from doing their job.
The reconstruction of the barrier began as early as 2am with workers assembling concrete boulders to block the access road.
Blocked: Some of the concrete blocks that have been placed on the access road.Raymond Yap, 54, a resident Bandar Mahkota said that reconstructing the barricade was not a wise move .
“We would still have to pay toll because many people here need to use the highway.
“There are at least 30,000 people living here and so you can imagine the volume of cars going in and out. We have to drive about 10km via Bandar Sg Long road, which is a waste of fuel.
“I do not understand how is it that they can block the road which is on state government’s land,” he said, urging the state government to help resolve this problem as soon as possible.
National MCA Youth committee member Loh Chew June hopes that a mutual agreement can be achieved for the sake of the long-suffering residents.
“The state and Federal governments should put their political differences aside and see the problem from the residents’ point of view,” said Loh, who also urged the residents to be calm in dealing with the situation and avoid confrontation.
According to a Grand Saga spokesperson, the company was not aware of any group that was monitoring the reconstruction of the barrier.
He added that the residents were free to make a police report if they felt threatened by the presence of any individuals.
Standoff over Cheras barrier
KUALA LUMPUR: Tensions ran high at Bandar Mahkota, Cheras, when hundreds of residents gathered to remove a barricade which was rebuilt early yesterday to prevent access into the area.Four people were arrested in the incident.
Grand Saga Sdn Bhd, the concessionaire of the Cheras-Kajang Highway, had reconstructed the barricade after it was taken down by the residents a few weeks ago.
Barrier rebuilt: Residents gathering after the barricade was rebuilt by Grand Saga workers (inset) on Tuesday. Later in the evening, a fracas ensued as a group of unidentified men attacked the residents as they tried to dismantle the barricade. — CHUA KOK HWA, DARREN TAN and BRIAN MOH/ The StarA fracas ensued at about 7.15pm when a group of unidentified men armed with sticks and helmets attacked the residents. Several residents were taken to hospital.
Also injured was a photographer from Utusan Malaysia, Roy Azis Abdul Aziz, who was beaten up when he tried to snap some photographs.
Several cars parked at the roadside were also smashed by the group.
The group of men sat on the blocks, not allowing the residents to remove them and threatened to attack those who tried to go near the barricade. However, the group disappeared when the police arrived later.
On May 8, about 1,000 residents from the nearby areas demonstrated at Bandar Mahkota Cheras.
Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Shakaruddin Che Mood said Grand Saga Business Development and Corporate Affairs executive director Zainal Abidin Ali had written to him on Monday informing that they would rebuild the barricade, and requested for security.
However, ACP Shakaruddin rejected the request as there was no court order on the matter.
Grand saga contractors started to rebuild the barricade at 12.30am and finished at about 6pm. Zainal Abidin said the barricade was built on an “indisputable area” within Grand Saga’s boundaries.
Until last night, five of the injured had lodged reports at the Kajang police headquarters.
One of the victims, who only wanted to be known as Ina, said she and her husband with their four-year-old son were watching the drama when a group of men suddenly attacked them.
A resident, who only wanted to be known as Ken, said he was hit by a helmet and a pipe on his neck and back.
“I was only watching them pairing down the concrete sledge when suddenly a bunch of people arrived and started beating everyone up. I ran after I was beaten several times but some others were injured quite badly,” said the 28-year-old.
Another resident Kenny Ki, 45, said a group of men came in two cars and five motorbikes.
The residents disperse at 7.45pm but gathered again later to remove the barricades.
At 10pm, the Federal Reserve Unit arrived in three trucks and two water canon trucks and gave three warnings to the residents to disperse.
At press time, only a handful of people were still gathering a distance away from the barricade and several policemen remained.
