KUANTAN: The Pahang government will issue temporary occupation licences (TOLs) to deserving farmers in Cameron Highlands.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said the state government was given the prerogative to assist smallholders after discussing the matter with Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
"We have decided to approve TOLs to long-time vegetable farmers or those who inherited the land. They can continue their cultivation as usual but they must do it according to the rules.
"There will be no compromise on large-scale illegal land expansion. We will coordinate later on which plot of land will be replanted with trees and which are suitable for farming," he said in his winding up speech at the state assembly sitting here.
Adnan added that the National Security Council (NSC) had also agreed to halt operations against the farmers.
"We told the NSC that even if they want to take action against the farmers, please wait until the produce have been harvested first," he said.
On bauxite mining, Adnan said the state government would find a lawful way to impose an increased revenue collection on the operators.
"If we do not do this, the people of Pahang will not get anything. Not only can the additional revenue go towards paying the salaries of government officials and state assemblymen but also help those living in areas affected by the bauxite dust pollution," he said.
Adnan said there had been some improvement on the pollution situation after strict enforcement was carried out on errant lorry drivers recently.
He also said the authorities would continue its enforcement by seizing illegal mines.
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