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KUALA LUMPUR – The Pahang government has denied accusations that its enforcement at the Batu Talam permanent forest reserve in Raub is racially motivated.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said the enforcement on land encroachment is done regardless of race, area and district.
His comment comes after the felling of about 15,000 Musang King durian trees at the forest reserve by the state Forestry Department.
Wan Rosdy said the durian farmers need to seek permission from the department director to retrieve their belongings from the forest reserve.
The stand-off between the farmers and state government is still unresolved.
The Save Musang King Alliance (Samka) said the move to chop off the trees is “cruel and heartless”, and has made the lives of the farmers more miserable amid a health crisis.
“The Pahang Forestry Department enforcement operation has violated the court order.
“They carried out the enforcement in Batu Talam (permanent) forest reserve, which is in Tras subdistrict and subject to the interim order.
“The state government has no authority to circumvent the court order.”
Samka will file a suit against the state government for contempt of court, and will not sign any “unequal contract with the consortium that will essentially turn them into modern-day slaves”, he added.
Department deputy enforcement director Nor Azirim Ahmad told Berita Harian that Op Pamah started on July 3, attributing the swift enforcement to the skills and number of the staff involved.
It was reported that more than 100 personnel from nearly all forestry district offices in the state joined in the operation.
“In nine days, almost all the 15,000 Musang King durian trees illegally planted were felled. Initially, the operation was expected to take a month,” said Nor Azirim.
“Next, we will be cleaning up the area to plant more than 20,000 forest trees.”
Last year, 204 durian farmers challenged eviction notices at the Kuantan high court via a judicial review, but their applications were dismissed on December 23.
They challenged the decision at the Court of Appeal, and were granted a stay of execution on January 5.
The court order specifically states that the authorities are not allowed to evict or prevent the applicants from entering their farms. – The Vibes, July 14, 2021
