Putrajaya S Bid For Injunction On Orang Asli Land To Be Heard On April 14

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The Kota Bharu High Court today set April 14 to hear the federal government's application for an injunction against five companies from allegedly encroaching into the Orang Asli native customary land in Gua Musang
The application is part of Putrajaya's suit on behalf of the Orang Asli community against logging and plantation companies as well as the Kelantan government, which the federal government claims does not recognise their native customary land rights and have issued licences to exploit the lands
Judicial commissioner Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh fixed the date after receiving consensus from both the plaintiff and defendants
"The federal government filed the suit on Jan 14, which includes an injunction, and the court has fixed Feb 25 for the defendant to file their affidavit
"We (the federal government) will need to file our affidavit in response on March 11 and the court also fixed March 27 for case management to ensure all documents are in order for the trial to begin," said senior federal counsel Kamal Azira Hassan
Attorney-general Tommy Thomas had announced the suit last Friday. The suit claimed the Kelantan government had failed to consult the Orang Asli community when it approved licences to exploit lands which the indigenous people claim are their native customary rights
The state government defendants include the Kelantan government, the Kelantan Land and Mines Office and the Kelantan Forestry Department
The private entites named as defendants are Fleet Precision Sdn Bhd, Koperasi Kijang Mas Negeri Kelantan Berhad, KPG Maju Enterprise Sdn Bhd, Ringgit Saksama (M) Sdn Bhd dan M7 Plantation Berhad. - Mkini

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