Perak farmers urge Putrajaya to save their farms, ensure food security

Perak farmers urge Putrajaya to save their farms, ensure food security


A group of farmers from Perak gathered outside Parliament today to plead with Putrajaya to intervene in plans by the state government to turn their farms into a housing and industrial development area.

The group - which claimed to be representing 250 farmers in Perak - said they have been working the 1,600 acres of land and growing food for the state for over 80 years.

The 10 farmers present, several PSM leaders and representatives of the Lawan Lapar (Fight Hunger) civil society organisation had stationed themselves outside the Parliament gates, while another group consisting mostly of PSM members and Lawan Lapar activists had gathered at the National Monument Park.

Between them - a strong deployment of police officers.

When those gathered at the National Monument Park, including PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan, made a move to join the main group outside Parliament, they were prevented from doing so by the police.

Footage of the police blocking the marchers went viral on social media, with many criticising the government and police for being heavy-handed and preventing peaceful demonstrations.

Among the critics were DAP lawmakers Kelvin Yii and Syahredzan Johan, who tweeted that the people should be allowed to enter the Parliament to handover memorandums.

Lawan Lapar spokesperson, Tharma Pillai - who was among those blocked - was dismayed by the police preventing people from meeting elected representatives.

"This is unreasonable. When the public wishes to voice their concerns and make demands, the role of the police should be to protect and ensure that their voices are heard, rather than making it more difficult for them," he said.

Police, however, eventually relented and let the two groups merge outside Parliament.

There, Tan Tean Chee, a farmer from Chemor, submitted their memorandum to Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and representatives from the Prime Minister's Department and Agriculture and Food Security Ministry.

kt comments: Why Syed KayPoh? He's not even a minister?

Later, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim (PKR) also met the group and pledged to carefully review their demands.

PSM chairperson Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj pointed out that over the past 15 years, the Perak state government has sold more than 1,600 acres of land meant to be used for vegetable, fruit, fish and duck production to various parties for housing and industrial development projects.

PSM chairperson Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj (centre)

kt comments: Probably the only sincerely hardworking politician

"This is no longer just a personal issue for farmers, it’s a food shortage problem that the entire country must face.

"Prices have already gone up. Do we want to continue destroying vegetables?

"We have already engaged the Perak state government, but they are unwilling to listen because private companies have paid for that land.”

Jeyakumar stated that they had come to request Parliament to negotiate with the Perak state government to reclaim these 1,600 acres of land for farmers to cultivate.

Farmers handing over a memorandum to Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman

e;f;f;i;n;g; Kay-Poh


At the same time, the former MP also called for a royal commission of inquiry to be set up to investigate the issue of the Perak state government leasing Permanent Food Production Parks (TKPM) to private companies.

He further emphasised that the farmers are not seeking land titles but are looking for agreements under normal procedures to ensure food security.