It is no easy task collecting one million signatures but the Himpunan Hijau activists seeking to petition against the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (Lamp) which produces toxic wastes faced more than just hard work.

NONE Leong Kin Aw, who spent the past few nights at Dataran Merdeka with movement leader Wong Tack, said he was particularly upset over some of the sarcastic remarks hurled against them as they go on their rounds collecting signatures.

"Some of them do not understand that environmental protection is everyone's effort. A few of them said mean things to us. Still, we responded to them nicely.

"If we were in a restaurant, there would be a table of people speaking out loudly against us, even saying things like 'you guys must have been paid to do this'," Leong said in an interview with Malaysiakini on Monday.

According to him, the most frequent question he encountered from the people he approached was, "Do you think it (the signature campaign) will work?"

NONE Said the 28-year-old Leong: "Our response was, 'If we do nothing, then nothing will work. If we do not do this, the next toxic plant will probably be built next to your house'."

Leong, who is a basketball coach for primary and secondary school students, has applied for a week's leave to help out in the signature campaign against the rare earth processing plant in Gebeng, Pahang.

According to him, watching all his comrades leave Dataran Merdeka to get back to work after the weekend was over was his most unforgettable memory.

"We are still here because we can apply for leave, but not them. I am the only one left here now," Leong said.

'Many felt we were asking for donations'

Another volunteer, Tan Khooi Lan, has been coming to Dataran Merdeka every day to support the campaign since it kicked off on Saturday.

NONE Tan said she too met many unfriendly people when collecting signatures but she nevertheless responded to them in a pleasant manner.

"We had met many unconcerned people who misunderstood us, who felt we were asking for donations. But many of them signed the petition after we explained the issue to them.

"Some of them even gave us money and told us to go enjoy a good meal and not to work so hard. It was very touching," Tan said.

The retired 58-year-old woman, who returned from China after a long working career there, had taken part in the Green March against Lynas in November last year.