With less than a week to go for the 'Himpunan Hijau Raub' anti-cyanide demonstration, the police have finally given rally organisers permission to hold the protest at a football field in the central Pahang town.

NONE The Ban Cyanide Committee and Raub district police chief (OCPD) Wan Mohd Samsudin Wan Osman inked an agreement after a two-hour meeting yesterday ( right ).

The rally will be held at Padang Kompleks Sukan, Jalan Bukit Koman, Raub or Padang Milo from 2pm to 4pm on Sunday, Sept 2.

According to the committee adviser Tan Hui Chun, the participants are however banned from marching to the gold mine, which is owned by Raub Australian Gold Mine (RAGM) Sdn Bhd.

NONE "The police do not allow us to march but the OCPD said he has asked the mining company to send a representative to the rally and receive the memorandum from us. So we agreed to hold the rally at the said venue," Tan told Malaysiakini .

In a statement released late yesterday, the organisers also said Wan Mohd Samsudin told the committee that the police would ensure the safety of all parties.

"We have tentatively agreed to the offer from the police, but if there is any change to this, we don't rule out the possibility of leading the crowd to march to the gold mine," the statement warns.

Complaints of illnesses

The committee was formed by Bukit Koman residents who insisted that cyanide, a highly toxic chemical used by the gold mine in its processing, has caused the villagers living nearby to suffer various illnesses . However, the Health Ministry said it could not confirm this.

NONE The Sept 2 rally is the culmination of five years of protests against the use of cyanide in the gold mine.

The committee's initial application to use Dataran Raub for its gathering was rejected by the Raub District Council on grounds that the site had already been booked for another activity.

When contacted early this month, RAGM director Andrew Kam declined to comment. Attempts to contact Kam again yesterday were futile.

It is unclear whether the company will be sending a representative to the rally.