Perak farm fiasco: Release the farmers immediately, Aliran says

Perak farm fiasco: Release the farmers immediately, Aliran says




RIGHTS group, Aliran urged the authorities to release the eight farmers detained immediately over an alleged land encroachment issue.


“We are deeply concerned about the ongoing land dispute between a group of farmers and Eadepro Development Sdn Bhd in Chepor Impian, in the Kinta district of Perak.

“It was reported that the police have detained eight people – four farmers and four Parti Sosialis Malaysia members.


“We trust good sense will prevail and all the eight arrested will be released immediately,” it said, in a statement.

Yesterday, the eight individuals were arrested by the police for allegedly trying to prevent the eviction of farmers in Chepor Impian, Perak.

M Agastim and V Kesavan were initially detained by police while trying to prevent the eviction of the eight farmers and were taken to the Ipoh police headquarters.

Later, activists S Nagenteran Sandrsigran and M Kavitha Munisamy were detained along with four farmers Liew Kook Soon, Liew Yu Lim, Liew Yu Ming and Liew Yu Tsong.

It was said that the small-time farmers have been cultivating on the land for nearly four decades, when it was still owned by the state government.

Think of food security

However, the land was sold to a private developer some time back. It was also claimed that the developer did not bring a court order to evict the farmers’ eviction.

On that note, Aliran found it odd that the authorities were trying to evict farmers, given the nation’s food security issues and rise in prices of goods following the economic downturn.

“Given rising food prices and the need to protect our food sources to ensure food security in the country, such disputes should be resolved through negotiations, not by forced evictions and arrests.

“This is a difficult time for everyone in the country, including these farmers,” it concluded.

In an update, PSM chairperson Jeyakumar Devaraj said that the authorities have destroyed the farmers’ crops yesterday.

“A bitter pill for the Chepor Impian farmers. All crops bulldozed yesterday – losses in the tens of thousands each.

“On top of that arrested for ‘criminal trespass’ for being on the land their family has been tilling for 40 years. And today the police might ask for remand.– April 14, 2022