Pahang rep slams ‘ulterior motives’ against durian farmers
More than 15,000 durian trees were chopped down last week in an operation which the state government said was to protect the environment. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: A DAP assemblyman has accused the Pahang state government of holding ulterior motives against durian farmers in Raub, after destroying over 15,000 durian trees in the Batu Talam forest reserve in just nine days.
Tras assemblyman Chow Yu Hui said the state government had said “a blatant lie” with the excuse that it wanted to protect the forest reserve. Chow said the state government had already de-gazetted 1,213ha of forest reserve land previously and had leased it to the Royal Pahang Durian consortium.
In a statement, he said the land leased to the company was classified as a water catchment area and the habitat of endangered Malayan tigers, which proved that “environmental protection” was just an excuse.
He accused the state government of wanting to “exterminate” small durian farmers in Raub to make way for the consortium while using the excuse of “environment preservation” to clear the land.
“If the state government is indeed concerned about the environment, it would not grant a huge swathe of land, which consisted of Malayan tiger habitat and water catchment areas, to a giant consortium.
“The state government’s enforcement operation is an elaborate act with ulterior motives. Their purposes are to deter other unlicensed farmers and create terror in order to force them to sign the unequal contract set by the consortium,” he said.
Chow said the durian farmers had not chopped down any trees in the forest reserve to plant the durian trees, but had simply converted idle land into durian farms.
He added that the land was idle as the state government had allowed companies to conduct logging in the area but did not replant any trees.
On July 4, durian farmers who tried to harvest their produce were stopped by police and forestry department officials, the latest incident in an ongoing tussle between the farmers and the state government over the land.
The Pahang government has accused the farmers of illegal farming and wants to evict them as the state has leased the land to a durian cultivation firm.
However, the farmers maintain they have a right to enter the land as the Court of Appeal granted them a stay against their eviction in January. The court ruled that the authorities are not allowed to evict or prevent the farmers from entering their orchards.
PETALING JAYA: A DAP assemblyman has accused the Pahang state government of holding ulterior motives against durian farmers in Raub, after destroying over 15,000 durian trees in the Batu Talam forest reserve in just nine days.
Tras assemblyman Chow Yu Hui said the state government had said “a blatant lie” with the excuse that it wanted to protect the forest reserve. Chow said the state government had already de-gazetted 1,213ha of forest reserve land previously and had leased it to the Royal Pahang Durian consortium.
In a statement, he said the land leased to the company was classified as a water catchment area and the habitat of endangered Malayan tigers, which proved that “environmental protection” was just an excuse.
He accused the state government of wanting to “exterminate” small durian farmers in Raub to make way for the consortium while using the excuse of “environment preservation” to clear the land.
“If the state government is indeed concerned about the environment, it would not grant a huge swathe of land, which consisted of Malayan tiger habitat and water catchment areas, to a giant consortium.
“The state government’s enforcement operation is an elaborate act with ulterior motives. Their purposes are to deter other unlicensed farmers and create terror in order to force them to sign the unequal contract set by the consortium,” he said.
Chow said the durian farmers had not chopped down any trees in the forest reserve to plant the durian trees, but had simply converted idle land into durian farms.
He added that the land was idle as the state government had allowed companies to conduct logging in the area but did not replant any trees.
On July 4, durian farmers who tried to harvest their produce were stopped by police and forestry department officials, the latest incident in an ongoing tussle between the farmers and the state government over the land.
The Pahang government has accused the farmers of illegal farming and wants to evict them as the state has leased the land to a durian cultivation firm.
However, the farmers maintain they have a right to enter the land as the Court of Appeal granted them a stay against their eviction in January. The court ruled that the authorities are not allowed to evict or prevent the farmers from entering their orchards.
QUOTE
ReplyDeleteSave Musang King Alliance chairman calls Najib’s criticism of him a diversionary tactic
Friday, 04 Sep 2020
BY RADZI RAZAK
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 ― Save Musang King Alliance (Samka) chairman Chang Yee Chin today questioned a Facebook post by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak “exposing” him as DAP councilman at the Kajang City Council and asking why DAP is at the forefront of the durian farmers’ dispute in Pahang. In a statement tonight, Chang said that he was born and raised in Raub, Pahang and educated at SJKC Sungai Lui and SMJK Chung Ching.
He said he resigned as a councilman in February because he wanted to cultivate his parent’s durian grove after their health had declined.
“A long time ago, my family was very poor and my father started exploring the Klau River at the urging of the government, and I am a second-generation settler. My family and I have tried many times to get land ownership but failed. We are still trying our best. “After that, I worked in the city, and at that time, I got to know DAP. I joined the Dutamas branch of DAP because of its ideology. I was appointed to the Kajang council in 2018 because of my caring attitude towards the local community. “I’m willing to lead this campaign not because I am a member of DAP, but my friends and I, whether Chinese or Malay, face the same problem: the government is conspiring with private corporations to seize what we have created with our sweat. My father’s hard work was eliminated in the blink of an eye, (and my) family’s life is at great risk,” he said in a statement today.
In a post today, Najib shared photos and Chang’s social media of him as the Balakong state assemblyman’s special officer in an effort to prove that DAP is behind the durian farmers’ resistance movement in Pahang. He alleged that this is also the reason why Pakatan Harapan (PH) and DAP leaders including veteran Lim Kit Siang have intervened in the issue and urged the media to mention Chang’s DAP membership when reporting the issue.
“Lim said using the name ‘royal’ would give the perception that durian farmers are now against ‘royalty’ (royal family). “This means that even if the Pahang government wants to negotiate, they are not negotiating with durian growers but negotiating with DAP. “As long as it is highly politicised, it will be very hard for this issue to be resolved peacefully. “I hope the local media will also start mentioning the relationship between the Samka chairman and DAP/PH when they report on the controversy of the Raub durian growers,” he said.
Chang said Najib had deliberately linked agricultural policy and land issues with racial issues to divert attention from the issue of alleged exploitation by private and government corporations. He said the farmers are ready to pay compensation to the state government for the losses incurred and also share some of the profits from the durian production with the state.
“DS Najib has slandered me and other farmers by claiming that we are not willing to negotiate with the government. He is the one who is trying to politicise the issue. “Maybe DS Najib is a busy person, or his PR team is not very professional, or they are not willing to take the time to research and understand this crisis or the demands of Samka. “Since Samka was established, we have repeatedly emphasised our stand that farmers are always ready to work with the state government,” he said.
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It is a marvel how a convicted person remains so free that one would think he was found not guilty by the courts.
ReplyDeleteAnd very clever of this convict to link everything to DAP making it a political situation (not that it was not already)
Amidst all this, where is the sultan. Where is the agong?
Or are they only consumed with the ringgit growing from the durian trees?