KUANTAN, 6 JULY: According to Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, the ongoing enforcement action against illegal plants, including Musang King orchards, at the Batu Talam Permanent Forest Reserve (HSK) in Raub, is being carried out in compliance with the law. He said that the operation was carried out after consulting with the state Legal Adviser’s Office and that it avoided the orchard areas that were the subject of a Court of Appeal appeal.
For the record, 110 farmers and six parties, including the Raub District Land Administrator, Pahang Forestry Director, and Royal Pahang Durian Resources PKPP Sdn Bhd, were involved in an ongoing court dispute over 2,167 hectares of land near Raub planted with Musang King durian.
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This enforcement action, which began on Saturday and is slated to end on August 2, covers 101.17 hectares in HSK Batu Talam. This is standard enforcement, but it is met with hostility and provocation, including harsh language directed at cops and personnel.
“I hope this (operation) does not become a racial problem,” he added in a statement today, “since enforcement operations have already been carried out in various other regions prior to this, such as Sungai Ichat and Bertam Valley in Cameron Highlands, and Kechau in Lipis.”
The state government has previously conducted enforcement actions in Cameron Highlands involving unlawful land exploration for vegetable and flower cultivation, while land exploration in Lipis featured gold mining.
Wan Rosdy said the operation in Raub, which was carried out in coordination with the police by the state Forestry Department and the state Enforcement Unit (UPNP), included the imprisonment of people who trespassed on HSK Batu Talam as well as the seizure of used equipment or vehicles.
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Today, 18 Raub durian farmers were released on police bail.
Police send an unit from the General Operations Force to Raub to keep the peace./n
