These are for my own notes.
Got there around 9.15 am and things were rather calm. However, I heard there were commotion earlier in the morning. So, after hanging around for about another 15 minutes, suddenly things get chaotic.
Today, there aren’t many villagers around to form human barricade. Instead, MIC Youth sent a lot of members to protect the village. Maybe like 20 of them and T. Mohan was there.
The moment Gary Ho, who is the developer appeared, things get ugly. Pushing, shoving and in the melee, Gary claimed “MIC pukul saya” to a police.
In return, MIC Youth Soma claimed a police personnel name Azman called him anak haram. Soma made a report, written on a green piece of paper and was applauded.
Altogether, Gary Ho was seen to be furiously pushed three times. Initially, I thought it was just a wayang cooked up by Nusmetro (since I have heard so much of them being an UMNO-linked company) and MIC.
But I was in the midst of one of the push and shove and it looks genuine. My toe was stepped on, ouch! A water bottle was thrown and it flew past me, hit a van roof. But the demolition crew claimed the villagers threw stone. Doh…if I have not been an eye witnessed, I would have believed.
I hid behind those police light strike force or cabut the moment Gary Ho appeared. He was like the spark that sets off the explosive. Once the villagers/MIC see him, push and shove will start. Every kind of expletives also spew.I left around 11 am because I was running out of battery (again). The sun was too hot anyway and the only shady area is where the row of light strike force stood with Thomas Chan. At first, I took shelter and later, realised, people may think I am part of Thomas Chan gang. (Thomas is Gary’s boss or something likedat) So, poor me had to stand under the sun and now, I am darker by another shade.
One villager said my reporting is not fair. She said I never highlight that they are not greedy like the public claimed them to be. I explained to her that it is unfair because I had featured so many people like Darshan Singh (whom was arrested later), Uthaya, the villagers and etc. I told her just because I put one video of Thomas Chan telling his side of story, it does not mean I support him! OMG, can you believe the shit I get?
Then, she said Lim Guan Eng sided with the developer. I told her I wouldn’t know and cannot be held responsible if I happened to put both LGE and Thomas Chan in one video. Die lah, like that also can?
I explained to her that since I have access to both Thomas Chan and Lim Guan Eng, I feel my videos of these two persons will help the villagers to get an idea what are their plans. Otherwise, they wouldn’t know what’s behind TC and LGE’s side since they claimed both never want to see them. See lah, this one is what Cantonese says….hou sam pei lui phek…(good heart but kena lightning instead) I asked her if she wants to be video to explain things and she didn’t want. I asked two more women and they too refused to tell me their side of the story. So how lah am I going to feature them?
Anyway……I accepted that it is the price I pay for taking an interest in Kampung Buah Pala. People only want to see their side of the story and if they see anything else, I get the blame.
Today, I (politely) argue with a police, hoping he will mengamok or something. He refused the press to go closer to the demolition site. I told him we must go in to menegakkan kebenaran. LOL, I explained and explained but he tulan with me and told me to just listen to order. Muahahar….
When I left at 11 am, only one house was demolished. Now, four houses are demolished and 14 people detained. I cannot go out and kepoh further because no one is around to baby sit for me. So, there goes another, ‘Your reporting is not fair, you only feature part of the story.’
aiyoh. i think you have reported a lot and done well..
because you are merely reporting what you know and saw.
Wei, Lilian..nice job with the coverage. It must be tense…don’t care what ppl say la…
See? no matter what u do or wat anyone do, they will blame, blame, blame…
Foong – Wuah, this morning really ganas lor…
Jimmy – Not often we get chance of being in the midst of the shouting and etc. There was one part, a few of us reporters were standing and suddenly the bunch broke into pushing and shoving, we cabut fast fast or else we also fly and landed on fresh gusai. There are lots of fresh ones today.
meiyi – Yalor, I don’t care one. Even LGE told his staffs I am very fair in reporting what. I never support him blindly, I asked the most challenging questions and who else let Darshan Singh gave his whole speech?
Ya, agree with that ”hou sam pei lui phek’.hahaha! ‘No diu’ them la, just carry on.. You ‘ve a done a great job in keeping us well informed of the situation.. thanks!
abt the lighting bit, it’s part of journalism. u know I know u know tht too.
dare I say now, it’s completely pointless n futile to put up any resistance by the ‘defenders’ of the villagers. it’s all ord jadi bubur liau. wait 1 more day, it will come out fr the other ‘end’. usualy around 7am my time….kekeke.
I don see why they deserve any more publicity fr u or other media alike. their fight is over. they had their chance n they blew it.
hey, what happens to the $3 million something tht MIC said they will throw in to help?? talk burung only. Let follow tht up! talk is cheap in m’sia.
LC,
forgot to add tht i only wished u put on yr ‘obnoxious 5xmom mask’ and screwed tht villager who questioned yr post. hahaha…
hmm….. I still wonder why the villagers aren’t satisfied with the 2-storey house + money compensation? what they really want after all? perhaps the sentimental value that comes together with the land which they’ve been living there for so many years?
not quite sure with the whole situation so curiously asking…
anyway it’s nice to see reports from the other side instead of the Stars, thanks auntie Lilian!
CLF – They want a more detailed offer letter stating explicit terms. Right now, the letter is rather vague. Then, there are lots of other issues. Sentimental value is also important to the elderly folks and I do feel for them. In fact, I cried thinking of the few old uncles having to lose their childhood memories cos they are born there. But then, what to do….
JT – You want me to die kah? You don’t know how touchy the situation is. I dare not even open my mouth. But I am glad the real villagers are very warm to me. I don’t blame the lady who told me I am not fair cos there are lots of funny comments on the internet and it is easy to get affected by those anons.
9pek9bo – Usually, I prayed hard for guidance. The night before, on the way and during tense situation. I ask for God’s mercy to change those hardened hearts, for protection, for wisdom…etc etc. Wuah, I become so much religious over Kampung Buah Pala. Cos one or two families are Catholics and I feel it is my Christian duty to do my part for them and of course, everyone, including my state leaders.
9pek9bo – But hor, sometimes, people give up too fast, giving up their faith over a person too fast. I am very trusting and wish others would have the same faith they have when things were less cloudy. Sad thing is, one day they believe in the person, later on, with so much noises, they mistrust and start disbelieving, then, they started hurling accusations etc etc. Sigh…I guess you know what I am talking about lah. It is not so much trusting God but also having faith in the goodness of humans.