KOTA BARU: The PAS-led Kelantan state government is adamant that orang asli protesters at two disputed logging areas in Gua Musang must dismantle their barricades or face consequences.
Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob said the barricades were illegal and that the group was hampering development in the area.
"I also want to state that I am confident that this stalemate will end peacefully without untoward incidents and very confident that the blockade will end this Sunday," he told reporters after receiving a memorandum from 50 orang asli from Lojing near here who are against the blockade.
In its memorandum, the group from Lojing claimed that the Temiar tribe had been instigated by outsiders who were out to disrupt the harmony between the Kelantan government and the orang asli.
To a question on why he had only met with those who were against the blockade, Ahmad said he would meet the orang asli manning the barricades before Sunday.
Orang asli protesters set up two barricades between Pos Tohoi and Pos Gob in September preventing logs from leaving two logging compartments in the Balah permanent forest reserve.
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