Claims of police and 'Red Army' extorting farmers are false, says Pahang police chief

KUANTAN: Allegations that the police and a so-called "Red Army" are in cahoots and extorting farmers in Cameron Highlands are false, says the Pahang police chief.

Comm Datuk Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said a 35-second video showing men destroying a vegetable farm was being circulated, with text alleging the police are forcing farmers to make "contributions" or else a gang of thugs called the "Red Army" would pay them a visit.

Comm Ramli said that the footage was from December 2019 of an operation and two men were seen in the video destroying crops were enforcers from the Cameron Highlands District and Land Office.

He said investigations revealed that in January 2018, a temporary occupation license in the area had been revoked and a vacancy notice was issued in the same year.

He said the old footage was being circulated again and even the Cameron Highlands Vegetable Growers Association had also denied that there was such a "Red Army".

Comm Ramli said a police report had been lodged and the matter was being investigated under Section 500 of the Penal Code and Section 233(1) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

"Do not simply make baseless accusations if there is no clear evidence. It implies that the police are involved in corruption and tarnishes the image of enforcement agencies.

"We do not protect our personnel if they are found to commit offences. There is no such thing as a 'blue wall of silence' especially in this world of information technology," said Comm Ramli.

He also said vegetable farmers should conduct farming activities legitimately and not to encroach on land which is not theirs, which would entail enforcement action.