A GROUP of vegetable farmers in Chepor, Perak are locked in a stand-off with the local authorities after they were told to vacate the land they have cultivated for 60 years to make way for a development project.

They told The Malaysian Insight they are willing to move to a new location recommended by the Perak Land and Mines Department (PTG) but they will need to see the offer of land set down in black and white before upping sticks.

Until then, they are not budging, which has resulted in harassment by the developer, KM Majubina Sdn Bhd, they said.

V. Kesavan, an activist from Pemuda Sosialis Malaysia, who is representing the farmers, said a PTG official has informed them that the government will rent out to the 122 farmers parcels of land in Kampung Kolam, Tanjung Rambutan.

Under the verbal agreement, each farmer will lease 0.8ha of land from the Perak State Agricultural Development Corporation.

“The farmers are willing to relocate but they have absolutely no details of the offer, including the rental rates, rental period and even the actual location of the place they have been offered,” Kesavan said.

“Everything was done verbally. There is nothing in black and white, which would give farmers the assurance they need.”

He said the farmers are scheduled to meet with PTG officers today and visit the new site on May 4.

Meanwhile, Kesavan said the developer has threatened to evict the farmer twice – most recently yesterday morning – in three days.

The eviction was temporarily stopped after several activists, including former Sungai Siput MP Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, rushed to the scene.

Kesavan said the developer claimed it has a 2017 court order for eviction and that the farmers are to vacate the land within a certain period of time.

However, Kesavan said the names of farmers listed on the court order were incorrect.

Kesavan said the farmers wanted to engage with the developer and PTG to negotiate and come to a fair understanding but claimed the developer was not forthcoming.

“We wanted to meet the developer to ask them not to create any issues but just give us time.

“Why the need to use thugs to intimidate the farmers. The farmers’ appointment with PTG is tomorrow and site visit is next week. So, give them time,” Kesavan said, adding that the developer had refused to meet the farmers when they went to the office today.

Kesavan said they have engaged a lawyer now to apply for a stay against the eviction order while a decision can be made.

One of the affected farmers, 59-year-old Tan Tean Chee said the developer should not have acted hastily by sending people to threaten and force them to leave.

Tan even claimed that some of their properties were damaged when people appointed by the developer raided their farm.

He said the farmers also lodged a police report at the Kuala Kuang police station on the alleged incident.

Tan said they should have called for a meeting among all relevant parties to resolve the matter amicably.

“When they broke into the land, they broke the water taps and even damaged the hut we built.

“The developer and reps from the land office should have come to discuss with us before carrying out such acts.

“We are ready to listen, negotiate and even relocate to the new place offered with a condition that the place is suitable for farming but at the same time, give us time. We can’t do it overnight,” he said.

Tan said the majority of the farmers there plant corn as their main crop, while they also have banana trees and green vegetables.

Tan, who claimed to be the third generation farmer, said farming is his only rice bowl.

PSM together with the Perak Farmers and Breeders Association recently launched a “Keep Land for Agriculture” campaign, with demands on the government to maintain and protect agricultural areas that produce foods.

They want the law amended to protect small farmers from losing their cultivated land without a replacement land that would allow them to continue their agricultural activities.

PSM said small farmers in Perak are not asking for permanent land title grants, but only want to be given land leases for a period of 20 years so that they have confidence in their investments and in their agricultural ventures. – April 30, 2021.