The Kuantan police have reluctantly endorsed a planned Sunday anti-Lynas convoy of people, expected to draw 10,000 to rally behind the cause, according to the organiser Himpunan Hijau.

Himpunan Hijau chairperson Wong Tack said Kuantan OCPD Mohd Jasmani Yusof was initially against walk, which is featured in the two-day Occupy Balok-Gebeng event in Pahang, but the organisers stuck to their guns.

NONE "Then he told us that he will deploy strong manpower to coordinate," Wong ( right ) told Malaysiakini over the phone after a meeting between the NGO steering committee members and Jasmani today.

The plan is to mobilise thousands to join the 11-km walk from Balok beach on 9am to the Lynas rare earth refinery plant in Gebeng.

Participants are free to use any mode of transportation to converge at the Gebeng Commercial Centre before hoofing it to the Lynas plant.

They will then "occupy" the area for at least an hour to symbolise disapproval of the soon-to-be operating plant.

Tight security for sporting events

According to Wong, Jasmani explained during the 20-minute meeting  that security in Kuantan has been tightened because of a series of sporting events over the weekend and was not directed at the Occupy Balok-Gebeng event.

The police officer also reminded them not to create chaos or provoke violence.

To which Wong had replied that the event will be peaceful, as the participants have shown discipline in past rallies.

NONE "But I also know that the people's emotions are boiling, that we cannot guarantee anything will not go out of control once they reach the Lynas plant.

"We asked for his suggestions to help us, but he kept mum," Wong said.

PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu is scheduled to speak at the end of the journey and the party will deploy its volunteer corps, Unit Amal, from Kuantan and Paya Besar to coordinate the crowd.

The two-day event starting at noon tomorrow will see a sea of fluttering black cloth as the organisers have prepared hundreds of anti-Lynas banners using the colour of mourning.

Prominent NGO leaders and politicians, including poet and Bersih co-chairperson A Samad Said and PAS leader Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man will speak at two ceramah sessions tomorrow.

The first day's event will culminate with "a flame of rising anger" session at 11pm, with the organisers putting up a mock-up of the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant ( Lamp ), which will then be set afire by participants.

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