Bucketload of anger
> Umno Youth leads protest at state secretariat over water disruption
SHAH ALAM: Angry consumers frustrated with the recent spate of water disruptions in the state, threw empty water buckets and bottles into the Selangor state secretariat yesterday.
They demanded the state government to immediately resolve the water issues instead of blaming it on sabotage.
Led by Umno Youth executive committee member Datuk Armand Azha Abu Hanifah, the group of about 100 started marching from the Shah Alam City Council to the state secretariat at about 11am.
Protesters held up placards reading “water, water”, “where are our rights?”, “victims of circumstances”, and “sabotage or mismanagement?” and carried empty buckets while chanting along the way.
They then started rattling the locked gates of the secretariat.
While tempers started to flare, several Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel assembled and formed a line behind the gate in preparation.
The protesters demanded to meet a state assemblyman.
After about 45 minutes, the mentri besar’s political secretary, Shuhaimie Shafiei (PKR-Sri Muda), met the protesters and Armand was allowed through the gate along with a few others.
The protesters dispersed peacefully at around noon.
State executive councillor for environment Elizabeth Wong later handed over four broken buckets which were thrown into the state secretariat compound to Pahang PKR leader Bob Manolan Mohamad.
Wong (PKR-Bukit Lanjan) said Pahang, which is facing water issues of its own, may need the buckets more than the Selangor state government.