Cattles In The Plantations A Struggle For Livelihood And Food Security

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FOR generations, cattles have been reared in plantations by estate workers. This practice began when plantation wages were critically low, prompting the late prime minister Tun Abdul Razak to introduce the Buku Hijau initiative, which encouraged workers to cultivate vegetables and raise livestock to supplement their income.
Over the decades, while many plantation families moved away, some continued to rear cattle on estate peripheries. Several plantation managers, including Guthrie, historically allowed space and support for these farmers.
However, in recent years, particularly in 2019, Sime Darby introduced a zero-cattle policy, demanding the immediate removal of livestock within three months.
This abrupt directive caused severe hardship for cattle farmers, who had nowhere to relocate their animals. Protests erupted, including demonstrations at the Sime Darby headquarters on Aug 8, 2019, and at the Ministry of Agriculture on Sept 19, 2019.
Following the intervention of the then agriculture minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub, a temporary pause in evictions was achieved. Unfortunately, the issue resurfaced in 2024 and farmers again sought help from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS).
Several meetings were held. The cattle farmers’ committee called for a pause. Sime Darby refused to send their top management for the meeting and only sent their enforcement officers. We can summarise the positions of the stakeholders as below:
Sime Darby Plantation owners: Claimed that cattle were a nuisance, invading estate line sites areas and damaging oil palm nurseries.Cattle farmers: Emphasised that they sought no financial aid but needed grazing land which is scarce. They also contribute to national food security by supplying milk and meat and committed to preventing cattle from entering restricted areas. The cattle farmers agreed to take responsibility on their end.Veterinary Department: Acknowledged that cattle and oil palm cultivation can coexist. They highlighted evidence that cattle can enhance palm oil yields, citing Sawit Sabah, which even offers incentives for cattle integration.A 66-page guideline was drafted by the Veterinary Department under the Kementerian Pertanian dan Keterjaminan Makanan titled “Buku Panduan Menternak Lembu Pedaging Secara Integrasi Bersistematik” in 2023 as a document to formalise this coexistence, yet Sime Darby has refused to comply.
When questioned, their enforcement officers stated they fall under the Ministry of Commodities, not the Ministry of Agriculture.
This jurisdictional divide has stalled progress, despite Sime Darby being a government-linked company (GLC), which should facilitate inter-ministerial coordination.
Escalation in Selangor
(Image: Bloomberg)In Selangor, local authorities and the police have assisted Sime Darby in forcibly removing cattle. In one operation, two farmers were arrested.
Disturbingly, cattle seized by the land office are allegedly auctioned off, and farmers are forced to pay fines to recover their own livestock—only for the animals to be returned to the same estates from which they were evicted. This cycle appears to be a revenue-generating scheme.
During these operations, several cattle died or went missing, with suspicions that they were sold or consumed by those involved.
The process lacks transparency—conducted at night, without farmer oversight and has been widely condemned by farmers.
To date, farmers have lodged around 120 police reports, with hardly any action from the authorities.
Racial tensions and political failures
The issue has been wrongly racialised by local assemblymen, who falsely claimed that Indian plantation workers’ cattle killed a Malay villager. He provoked villagers to go the plantations to catch these cattles.
Despite the lack of arrests or evidence, racial tensions have been inflamed unnecessarily. Only PSM intervened, urging the state government to de-escalate the situation and find solutions.
Repeated requests for dialogue with the Menteri Besar’s office have as usual yielded promises but no concrete action.
On January 22, 2025, the Gabungan Penternak Marhaen sent a memorandum to the Selangor Menteri Besar.
Around 100 cattle farmers participated, and an aide, Encik Daing Muhammad Reduan, promised to call for a meeting between the parties. Nine months since then, it is yet to be done.
Now again on Oct 2, another memorandum was sent, and again another officer, Encik Firdaus, gave the same promise. There seems to be no will to resolve the issue.
Solutions in sight but commitments?
Malaysia currently imports a significant portion of its beef and milk. Malaysia’s self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) for beef/cattle meat was only 15.9% in 2023, while for fresh cow milk, the SSR was about 57.3%, meaning 42–43% is being imported.

These cattle farmers represent a homegrown solution to food security, yet they face systematic displacement.
The only tangible solution is for Sime Darby to immediately cease oppressive operations against farmers, allow for a meeting, facilitate inter-ministerial collaboration to resolve conflicts, and finally adhere to federal guidelines on cattle-palm oil integration.
The state and federal governments must align their policies to protect livelihoods, promote food sovereignty, and uphold justice.
The irony is stark: the federal Madani government supports cattle-plantation coexistence, yet the state Madani government and a federal GLC are undermining it. 
S. Arutchelvan is the Parti Sosialis Malaysia deputy chairperson as well as the coordinator of Gabungan Penternak Marhaen Malaysia.

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia.

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