MIC president S.A.Vigneswaran has backed the Pahang MIC leader and 11 local councillors from the party who resigned to protest how the eviction of illegal farmers in Cameron Highlands is being handled.

Vigneswaran said the party should align itself with the farmers rather than being in cahoots with the state government.

“Although this is a Barisan Nasional controlled state, we are disappointed with the decision to evict the farmers.

“These people were appointed into these positions so that they could help the Indian community in the state.

“If we can’t do that, we might as well resign (from the posts),” he said in a statement.

He said MIC would fight for Indians in Cameron Highlands despite them voting against the party in the by-election for the constituency.

Earlier today, state MIC leader V. Arumugam led the group of 11 MIC local councillors in the state to resign from their posts to show support for about 60 Indian farmers in Cameron Highlands.

Arumugam said negotiations with Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail to delay the evictions and let the farmers harvest their crops went nowhere.

“We have asked the menteri besar to give a time frame for the farmers to relocate as well as harvest their crops. We have kept up negotiations but the menteri besar could not come to terms with our proposals,” he said. 

He said the were willing to let MB Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail decide on the time frame. 

Pahang State Secretary Dr Sallehuddin Ishak earlier today said the state government was acting according to the law.

He said the state government had halted the demolition of illegal farms in the area after some farmers obtained an injunction from the Kuantan High Court on March 11.

However, they withdrew the suit on September 30, which allowed the state government to resume enforcement operations.

“The state government is committed to continuing its enforcement and will not compromise to ensure the environmental sustainability and people’s interest in Cameron Highlands.

“The Kuala Terla water treatment plant is the most important and largest plant, providing more than 70% of Cameron Highlands’ clean water needs, involving 8,332 accounts,” he said in Kuantan today.

Vigneswaran slammed the farmers who filed the legal action, which he said had resulted in the state government evicting all the farmers.

“We were in the midst of coming to an understanding with the state government on the situation but some of the farmers, after taking advice from certain quarters, filed the suit.

“And then when they realised the suit could not achieve much, they withdrew the action, and have disappeared.

“That leaves MIC to clean up the mess and fight for the rights of the other Indian farmers there,” he said.

Earlier today, former Padang Serai MP N. Gobalakrishnan and two MIC leaders were among seven people arrested during a sit-in in Cameron Highlands.

They were arrested about 11am and released on police bail at 7pm.

The two MIC leaders are central working committee member M.P. Nathan and MIC Youth secretary G. Theeageesh.

Gobalakrishnan is also a MIC central working committee member. – December 23, 2019.