Pahang govt never intended to opress durian farmers - MB

The Pahang government has never intended to oppress the Musang King durian farmers who cultivate the crop illegally around Raub district, said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.

On the other hand, Wan Rosdy said that the action taken by the state government was based on the provisions allowed under the law.

"The farmers involved should also be law-abiding citizens by vacating government land that they have occupied illegally all this while and the state government hopes to get cooperation from the parties involved.

"The state government has also reiterated its stance that it will not compromise on the issue of land cultivated illegally by the farmers involved," he said in a media statement here today.

Wan Rosdy said that the state government currently had to temporarily postpone the enforcement action of the eviction notice against the farmers involved until the application of 111 gardeners to obtain judicial review of the notice, to be decided by the High Court here on Oct 28.

On Aug 28, Kuantan High Court Judge Datuk Zainal Azman Ab Aziz allowed the farmers' application to obtain a temporary suspension order against the eviction notice issued by the Raub District and Land Office and the Pahang Forestry Department.

The application was made after the state government began taking action against farmers who allegedly cultivated durian plantations around Raub illegally in early August, as the illegal plantations had allegedly caused losses to the state government as well as water pollution issues.

--BERNAMA