Activists on a hunger strike at Dataran Merdeka against environmental degradation today shaved their heads to further drive home their point.

Tan Woei Tian, the spokesperson for Malaysian Youth Against Public Hazards who organised the hunger strike, said one woman was among the 11 people who went bald.

himpunan hijau hunger strike shave hair 301212 1 "It symbolises people returning to the righteous path and starting a new life in conjunction with the New Year," he said.

The one-hour balding ceremony was held at a park beside Dataran Merdeka and near the Kuala Lumpur City Hall headquarters at 2pm.

A Buddhist monk was invited to cut their hair before they were completely shaved by three hairdressers.

The ceremony attracted curious onlookers and tourists who took photographs of them.

The group have been on hunger strike since Thursday and aims to get by with nothing but water for 100 hours.

They have fasted for 66 hours as of 2pm today.

The protest is aimed at raising awareness on a number of environmentally sensitive projects, which among others, include the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (Lamp) in Gebeng, Kuantan, use of cyanide in gold mining in Bukit Koman and the Refinery And Petrochemical Integrated Development (Rapid) in Pengerang.

However, the group is particularly focussed on Lynas, demanding that its temporary operating licence be revoked, and want a detailed environmental impact assessment on the plant.