Effingham land hunger strike called off

A hunger strike protesting the alleged grab of land belonging to SJK (T) Ladang Effingham in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, was called off this afternoon on the advice of doctors.

The strike, which began last Saturday morning, ended about 12.05pm today, with the five protesters breaking their four-day fast with coconut juice.

Four of the five hunger strikers were admitted to Universiti Malaya Medical Centre shortly after their strike ended. They were very weak, and were taken away in two ambulance vans.

The hunger strike was initiated by school alumni members, parents and teachers under the banner of the Return Effingham Land Action Team (Reflax).

They are demanding the return of three acres of land that sits adjacent to the school, which the BN component party MIC alienated for the construction of a students hostel.

Yesterday, MIC vice-president M Saravanan agreed to look into demands of the group and assured them that the party leadership would resolve the matter.

"We will take it up with the party leadership to discuss in order to find a win-win situation, and find what is in the best interests of the Indian community," Saravanan said.

Reflax chairperson G Manivanan was adamant that the end of the hunger strike did not signify the end of their struggle.

'No victory until land is given back'

‘We will not celebrate victory until the land is given back to the school' Manivanan declared.

He said two more grounds on which Reflax called off the hunger strike were support for their struggle from Pakatan Rakyat MPs and the pledge of Reflax members to resume the hunger strike if no progress is made by the end of June.

Also present as the hunger strike ended were PKR vice-presidents Nurul Izzah Anwar and N Surendran, Selangor state exco member Elizabeth Wong and Subang MP R Sivarasa.

Sivarasa said he would ask the Selangor government to look for an alternative site for MIC's hostel, so as to expedite the return of the three-acre plot to the school for further development.

"We can create a situation where the school gets back the land and MIC also gets land for the hostel that it wants to build," he said.