Policies by state govt made it hard for Kanthan farmers to comply, says PSM’s Dr Jeyakumar

IPOH: Policies set by the Perak state government have created a situation whereby a lot of farmers could not get legal documents for their farms, says Dr D. Michael Jeyakumar(pic).

The PSM chairman said the situation was not due to the failure or stubbornness of the farmers but due to poor policies.

"A lot of the farmers have applied for grants, leases and temporary occupancy licences but with no outcome.

"The farmers are willing to pay rent or quit rent," he said in a statement.

"Apart from the six farmers whose farmlands were flattened on Oct 24 and 25, there are 200 others in Tambun at risk of being evicted because their land have been alienated to developers or government-linked companies," he said, adding that the state government have not practised smart land policies in the last 20 years.

"They are trying to defend their farms but without the assistance from the government, they are bound to be evicted soon," he added.

A group of farmers and several Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) leaders and activists attempted to stop an eviction process in Kanthan, near Tambun, on Tuesday (Oct 24).

Dr Jeyakumar and three others were arrested after the incident.

It was reported on Oct 19 that more than 130 farmers in Kanthan were worried about their livelihood after they were ordered to leave their farms.

A spokesman from the Perak Mentri Besar's office had on Thursday (Oct 26) issued a statement that the state was committed to resolving the issue.