Police overreacts over cake party at McD
J-on
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Wednesday, November 17, 2010
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By Eugene Kok Li-Jin
Photos by Oh Chin Eng
Kampar, November 16 (J-on) - Around 13 light strike force police kept a hawk’s eye at McDonald’s in response to a cake party organised for “1M Malaysians Reject 100-storey Mega Tower” Facebook group.
However it proved to be an overreaction as police equipped with batons outnumbered attendees which only numbered at six, two of which were the organiser's uncle and auntie who had come down from Ipoh to lend their support.
Observation showed the pressence of a police car and a four-wheel-drive as well as a police truck.
A police four wheel drive seen within the vicinity of McDonald's
Police and reporters 'flanking' the entrance of McD
Edward Chin who helped organise the party said that it was just a celebratory event and nothing political.
“We don’t have any banners, posters, or shouting, its just cake,” he explained.
Earlier UTAR had sent 3 officers to meet Chin, warning him that the event may violate the law.
Edward speaking to reporters as police watched over his back
Light strike force units seeking shelter from the rain
A cake brought for the party
Chin also added that UTARians should be more aware of the issues around them.
"This concerns 5 billion ringgit, what if this tower is just a tool of our dear Prime Minister's legacy. This is an issue we are not aware and we don't look into much," he said.
He further related his experience that would make him to want to organise the event.
“There was once where Bill Clinton was invited by a college to give a talk, and I thought that Clinton was actually dead, it was stupid of course, but that got me thinking – that we don’t really know about the things happening around us,” said Chin.
Oddly police were oblivious to the illegal flea sellers just a stone's throw away
Ironically Kampar OCPD Supt Abdul Aziz Salleh played to the tune of Chin, claiming that he was only there to eat.
“Saya nak makan pun you nak angkat gambar,” he said.
No action was taken by the police who left about an hour later, with a large bag of burgers.
The Facebook group which was created as a protest against the building of a multi billion ringgit 100-storey mega tower named Warisan Merdeka had called on members to organise cake parties in their own vicinity in conjunction with the group's one month anniversary.
The cake party at Kampar McDonald's is one such event held simultaneously at nine other locations nationwide.
The proposal to build the costly mega tower amid the gradual withdrawal of government subsidies and increase in service taxes has not bode well with the public, allowing the Facebook group to grow up to a quarter of million supporters.
