KUALA LUMPUR – Durian farmers in Raub, Pahang who have been barred from entering their durian orchards on state-owned land, need to negotiate with the Pahang government to resolve the matter, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said this is because land matters fall under state jurisdiction, and the state has the power to approve land use.
Mohamad said there are 8,782 farmers who cultivate durians legally, while 186 farmers are settlers.
“They (settlers) have already worked (on the land) and have produced outputs (durians). (Therefore), we hope that state authorities will keep helping affected parties obtain the land approved by the state government, either through renting, leasing, or any other methods.
“It (process) must follow the existing rules set by the state government,” said the minister in the lower house.
He was responding to Chow Yu Hui (Raub-PH), who asked whether the federal government would help 2,000 durian farmers in Raub who are unable to run durian orchards they have established.
Chow said these farmers could not obtain approval from the state government to lease the land from the state even after numerous applications.
Those lands were instead leased to a big company, which he said allegedly imposed strict conditions on the farmers, such as purchasing durian fruits from them with a price below the market value and monopolising all the farms.
204 durian farmers filed a judicial review at the Kuantan High Court against the state government’s order in 2020 for them to vacate their farms in various areas covering 2,167ha in Raub, including in Sg Ruan, Sg Chalit and Sg Klau.
However, the court ruled that the farmers were “squatters” and rejected claims that the state government had acted in bad faith by chasing them away.
The farmers then filed an appeal to set aside the decision and to seek a temporary order to prevent their eviction, as well as an order allowing them onto the land to maintain the trees.
However, on May 28 this year, the Court of Appeal denied the application made by 131 durian farmers to enter orchards and cultivate and maintain their fruits pending the disposal of their appeal to quash the eviction notices issued to them.
The appellate court has since fixed the appeal for case management on July 25. – July 1, 2024