Are farmers being unfairly evicted for development projects?

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Four Farmers Face Eviction from Ancestral Land for Housing Development

Four farmers in Kuala Kuang, Chemor, are facing eviction from land they have cultivated for generations, with a private developer intending to use the site for a housing project. The farmers, who have been cultivating vegetables and fruits on the land even before World War Two, received an eviction letter on August 2, ordering them to vacate by September 1 or face legal action. This situation highlights broader issues concerning land rights for long-term agricultural occupants in Malaysia and the processes involved when government land is allocated for private development.
Long-Standing Cultivation Disregarded by Land Grant

The agricultural land in question, spanning approximately 22 hectares, was granted to Syarikat Bukit Aneka Sdn Bhd in 2007 by the previous state Barisan Nasional government. Syarikat Bukit Aneka Sdn Bhd is a subsidiary of Syarikat LTS Properties Sdh Bhd, which is ultimately owned by TS Law Land Holdings. This allocation for a housing development project has overridden the established farming activities of the four families, who have been working the land for decades. The farmers were reportedly unaware of the land grant until they received the recent eviction notice, with no prior consultation.
Farmers' Attempts to Secure Land Rights Consistently Denied

The affected farmers have a history of seeking official recognition for their land use. Records indicate that since the 1980s, they have repeatedly applied to the authorities for grants to formalise their farming activities on the land. However, these applications have consistently been rejected. Furthermore, the state land office has not offered any alternative land parcels for them to continue their agricultural pursuits, leaving them with no viable options following the eviction notice.
Calls for Government Intervention and Upholding Commitments

The situation has drawn the attention of PSM chairman Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, who is advocating on behalf of the farmers. Dr Jeyakumar has urged the current Mentri Besar, Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, to intervene and uphold the Pakatan Harapan government's stated commitment to supporting small-scale farmers. He argues that instead of displacing farmers who are trying to make a living, the government should consider acquiring land owned by large corporations for development projects, offering them compensation and reallocating their land for housing. The farmers' landholdings each range between 1.6 and 3.2 hectares.

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Are farmers being unfairly evicted for development projects?

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