MELAKA: Land issues in Melaka are not only limited to locals renting out to foreign nationals, but that idle land is also being worked on by non-locals, claims state Pakatan Harapan chairman Adly Zahari (pic).
As the coalition is pushing for state land to be opened up to young local farmers, the former chief minister claimed that on a visit to a village, he saw padi fields planted with lemongrass.
“When I asked the villagers who planted them, they said foreigners. They are not full-time farmers. It is a side job for them. After work hours, they plant lemongrass,” he said.
Adly said he came across a similar case recently.
“I met one of our citizens and asked what he did. He said he sells vegetables. So I asked who grew the vegetables and his reply was foreigners,” he said.
He said without transparency in the system, land and shops owned by locals end up being rented or leased to foreigners.
“Locals own the land. Locals own the shops. But they are being rented out or leased to foreigners.
“This does not give us anything, especially the younger generation,” he said.
On Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said action would be taken against landowners or premises owners who allow foreigners to run businesses without licences or local authority approval.
The Agriculture Census 2024 report for Melaka, released by the Statistics Department in April, showed five non-Malaysian individual farm operators in the state.
Adly said this was happening because young Malaysians were not being trained or guided towards farming.
“We know foreigners are not supposed to farm in our state and in our country. But why is this happening?
“Because sometimes we cannot fill those needs for young people, and we cannot convince them and help them see that farming can give them a good living,” he said.
Adly said 55% of individual farm operators in Melaka are aged 60 and above, while those aged 15 to 30 make up only 2.4%.
He said access to state land for farming must come with practical training, suitable equipment and business guidance.
“Land is the people’s asset. Its management must bring lasting benefit to the people of Melaka,” he said.
