200 Durian Trees Destroyed Pahang Accused Of Violating Court Order

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A group of durian farmers embroiled in a land dispute with the Pahang state government has accused the latter of violating a court order by cutting down some 200 Musang King durian trees.
Save Musang King Alliance (Samka) advisor Chow Yu Hui said members of the Pahang State Enforcement Unit, accompanied by Forestry Department and Land Office personnel and the police, entered durian farms in Sungai Klau, Raub, at about 11am this morning to cut the trees.
“When the farmers returned to inspect the farm at around 3pm, they discovered that most of the felled Musang King durian trees were between 30 to 40 years old - fruits of decades of hard work.
“The enforcement team arrived without prior notification and abruptly proceeded to cut down the trees, inflicting a severe hardship on the farmers,” said the Raub MP in a statement today.
Raub MP Chow Yu HuiHe claimed this violated a Court of Appeal order issued on May 28 last year, which stated there shall be no destruction of structures or the felling of durian trees on the lands involved in the dispute, except with permission of the court, pending the resolution of the case.
“We will initiate legal proceedings to hold the state government accountable, demand compensation for damages, and defend the rule of law,” he said.
Malaysiakini has contacted Pahang Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail for comment on the allegation.
Meanwhile, Chow called on the authorities to stop cutting down durian trees and respect the court order, saying the alleged enforcement action this morning could constitute contempt of court.
He also urged the government to deal with the matter more humanely through open and sincere dialogue instead of “brutal evictions”.
Raub durian controversy
The Pahang government is implementing what it calls a “legalisation scheme” for durian farmers who are illegally occupying land in the state, which entails leasing the occupied land to Royal Pahang Durian Resources-PKPP Sdn Bhd (RPDR-PKPP).
The farmers claimed they tried unsuccessfully for many years to apply for land titles and licences from the relevant authorities, despite being promised the land since the 1970s under the Security Relocation Scheme to combat the Communist insurgency.
Instead, they claim they are being forced into unfair contracts with RPDR-PKPP, which the company denies.
Last year, 204 Raub durian farmers sought a judicial review of the Pahang government’s legalisation scheme, but the Kuantan High Court rejected their leave applications, leading them to appeal to the appellate court.
The latest incident is not the first time Samka has accused the state government of violating the court order.
In September last year, it accused authorities of burning and destroying structures used to house the farms’ workers and equipment. State secretary Zulkifli Yaacob dismissed the allegation as baseless. - Mkini

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