KOTA BARU: The PAS-led Kelantan Government is adamant that the orang asli community in a disputed area in Gua Musang dismantle their blockade or face the consequences.
Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob said the blockade was illegal and that they were hampering development if they continued to be stubborn about it.
“I also want to state that I am confident this stalemate will end peacefully without any untoward incident and that the blockade will end this Sunday,” he told reporters after receiving a memorandum from 50 orang asli in Lojing here who were against the blockade.
However, he did not elaborate on the terms agreed between the state government and the orang asli.
In their memorandum, they said they were against the blockade and claimed that the Temiar orang asli tribe was instigated by outsiders out to disrupt the harmony between the Kelantan government and the orang asli community.
Ahmad said he would meet the orang asli manning the blockade before Sunday, adding that a special task force led by Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Abdullah had been set up to engage with the group.
More than 200 orang asli built two barricades between Pos Tohoi and Pos Gob in late September to prevent logs from leaving two logging approved areas in the Balah permanent forest reserve, covering 239ha and 404ha respectively.
The state Forestry Department issued a stop-work order in October to reduce tensions between the loggers and orang asli.
The notice dated Nov 6, gave the activists two weeks to take down the blockade.
The notice warned that action could be taken against them under Section 32 of the National Forestry Act 1984 (Amendment 1993), which stipulates a jail term of up to five years, a fine of up to RM5,000 or both upon conviction.
District police chief Supt Rajab Ahad Ismail warned that police would not be held responsible if the confrontation between the orang asli and forest rangers turned ugly.
He said the proper way to solve the impasse was for the loggers to get a court order.
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