GUA MUSANG: There are no words that the overjoyed farmers and livestock breeders can express, as the government responded to their mounting losses with compensation amounting to RM10 million for settlers ravaged by wild animal attacks.
A Meranto Land Development Plan (RKT) settler Kamarudin Yaakub, 65, said he was most grateful for the good news because aggrieved farmers of crops such as banana trees, pineapples and the like, would surely be relieved with the generous re-dress extended by the government for human-wildlife conflict since losses continue to mount until the wildlife is relocated.
“ I am very grateful and appreciative for the government’s concern on our complaints and the hardships we faced.
“This compensation can revive our flagging spirits after we fell despondent because our income was falling with losses from crops eaten by wild animals such as elephants,” he said here today.
A livestock breeder from Kesedar Renok Baru RKT, Saadon Setaffa, 62, hopes that the compensation given can be distributed to all affected parties fairly without any conditions imposed.
He said since last year, more than 20 of his goats and cattle have fallen victim to wild animals, notably tigers, where he suffered losses estimated at more than RM30,000.
“We are relieved and happy as our complaints to the responsible parties so far have yielded results and appropriate action has been taken. I hope the compensation application process is also people-friendly,” he said.
On Wednesday, Gua Musang Member of Parliament Mohd Azizi Abu Naim through his Facebook post stated that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) has approved an allocation of RM10 million as compensation to individuals including farmers, breeders who bear physical and property losses due to wild animal attacks.
He said claims for compensation for loss or damage to property and crops can be filed by referring to the office of the state’s Department of Wildlife Protection and National Parks (Perhilitan) while aggrieved parties could meet him personally for further action. -Bernama
