Government launches blitz on illegal land clearing

Nowhere to hide: Detained illegal foreign workers looking through the wire mesh of a Black Maria after they were picked up during the operation to flush out illegals in the Cameron Highlands.

PUTRAJAYA: The Government has launched a massive crackdown on those responsible for the illegal land clearing activities that led to the recent flash floods and landslides in Cameron Highlands.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said there would be no let up in the action against those who violated the laws, even if they were Malaysian citizens or illegal immigrants.

“Saya kata tiada maaf bagimu (There will be no forgiveness for you),” he said after chairing an emergency meeting on the Cameron Highlands disaster at the National Security Council meeting yesterday.

The Deputy Prime Minister admitted there had been weak enforcement against illegal land encroachment involving thousands of hectares with some parties challenging the Government and local authorities to take action against them.

“One of the reasons the disasters happened is because there is no firmness in enforcement. As such, those who flout the laws are not afraid and the activities become rampant,” he said.

“We will now go all out and will use all our legal resources to enforce the laws. We mean business.”

Muhyiddin said that although land clearing activities fell under the jurisdiction of the Pahang state government, the Federal Government had ordered the state to enforce the law wholly and strictly.

He said the Government had also launched a massive exercise to arrest illegal immigrants. This involved the police, Immigration Department, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Com­mission, the police’s General Operations Force and the military.

Muhyiddin said in addition to illegal immigrants, there were also more than 4,000 Rohingyas from Myanmar with refugee status from the United Nations High Commis­sioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cameron Highlands.

“We will speak to UNHCR on how to manage the Rohingyas,” he said.

“However, their protected status does not mean that they are exempted,” he said. “If they violate our laws, we will take action.”

On claims that illegal land clearing activities were “protected” by certain politicians, Muhyiddin said the Government would not close an eye or give excuses.

“Whether it is political or non-political, the environment must not be destroyed,” he said.

“We are not concerned about the people we have to take action against. If they are indeed proven to be the masterminds behind the destruction, we shall take action.”

It is said that corruption and political influences allegedly fuel the rampant land clearing in Cameron Highlands with sources claiming civil servants took a RM10,000 bribe for every 0.4ha of illegal farms.

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