IPOH: The Perak state government will focus on taking enforcement action against illegal settlers to resolve the issue of encroachment on land belonging to the state and government-linked companies (GLCs).
The Office of the Mentri Besar in a statement yesterday said the move would be implemented through a special committee which had been set up to resolve issues over squatters and illegal occupation in Perak.
The statement came following a media report on seven farmers from Chemor who were given the notice to vacate a state-owned land within 14 days.
“Please be informed that they have been offered to rent the land belonging to the Perak State Agricultural Development Corporation (PPPNP).
“The state government is not planning to take any action against the illegal settlers even though they have carried out agricultural activities without paying anything to the state government for more than 50 years,“ the statement said.
According to the statement, based on the records of the Perak Land and Mine Office, a series of discussions took place with the illegal settlers and an agreement was reached before the notice was issued to them.
Among the terms was the illegal settlers were offered to rent land at a new location in Tanah Hitam area, Chemor where the land is in the process of being transferred from the state government to PPPNP.
The statement added that the 14-day notice was a standard procedure to allow the farmers time to vacate the land and the move was part of efforts to solve the problem of encroachment which has been happening for decades.
However, the statement added that the state government would at the same time continue to assist small-time farmers to carry out agricultural activities by renting out state and GLC-owned land at affordable rates.
The encroachment activities over 24,000ha of state and GLC-owned land had disrupted plans for development projects, the building of affordable homes and efforts to bring in investors, it added. — Bernama
