Kg Buah Pala ... raises a lot of interesting issues. Why? Because in Malaysia, there are a lot of people who are and have been living on land that legally is not registered in their name. There is no issue, and the government do most of the time ensures that they do get roads (tarred roads even), piped water, electricity, etc... but do nothing to make sure that they get the title to the land they live and work on.
Kg Buah Pala - it is not just a question of new hopes, but also the question about land for the grazing of their cattle...The cows, I do believe, is an important source of income. That is why I believe that giving them just an 'expensive' house as compensation would not do..
As a matter of policy, State governments must not hand over land on which there are people living and/or earning a living to some other....
It is happening not only in Kg Buah Pala... I believe that this is also predicament faced by some Malaysian Chinese farmers in Perak, and other parts of Malaysia.
As a matter of principle, land that has been used by farmers for the cultivation of vegetables, etc should also be given to these farmers for that purpose...
There can always be conditions placed on these leases - conditions that it be used for the purpose given, and conditions that it cannot be transferred and/or sold without government permission. This should also be the condition imposed on those who have got lost-cost homes, or will get low cost-homes in the future...
Plantation land was given at a very nominal rate by State governments for the planting of rubber (and then oil palm) ...i.e. agriculture. When these big plantation companies now want to convert these land for commercial/housing, this should not be allowed by the State government. But alas State Government allows this ....and plantation companies like Guthrie did sell off land at a rate of 100s of thousands per acre... [The cost they can demand is high because they have a very big plot of land - something they got because they were going to plant rubber/oil palm...]. I believe, that the formerly Bukit Tinggi Estate land was sold at about RM300,000 per acre...
State government have been lax with all the big and rich companies and persons - but behaves differently when it comes to the poor people... Seeing how the courts, police, etc were all on the side of the Developer, and not on the side of the people just shows how things are...Now, police says that 'outsiders' should not get involved. Unless, these 'outsiders' come forward in support of the 'weaker' people of Kg Buah Pala - the rich with its cronies will certainly bull-doze away their homes and their rights. Remember, there is also an appeal to the Federal Court that is yet to be heard...
Kg Buah Pala - it is not just a question of new hopes, but also the question about land for the grazing of their cattle...The cows, I do believe, is an important source of income. That is why I believe that giving them just an 'expensive' house as compensation would not do..
As a matter of policy, State governments must not hand over land on which there are people living and/or earning a living to some other....
It is happening not only in Kg Buah Pala... I believe that this is also predicament faced by some Malaysian Chinese farmers in Perak, and other parts of Malaysia.
As a matter of principle, land that has been used by farmers for the cultivation of vegetables, etc should also be given to these farmers for that purpose...
There can always be conditions placed on these leases - conditions that it be used for the purpose given, and conditions that it cannot be transferred and/or sold without government permission. This should also be the condition imposed on those who have got lost-cost homes, or will get low cost-homes in the future...
Plantation land was given at a very nominal rate by State governments for the planting of rubber (and then oil palm) ...i.e. agriculture. When these big plantation companies now want to convert these land for commercial/housing, this should not be allowed by the State government. But alas State Government allows this ....and plantation companies like Guthrie did sell off land at a rate of 100s of thousands per acre... [The cost they can demand is high because they have a very big plot of land - something they got because they were going to plant rubber/oil palm...]. I believe, that the formerly Bukit Tinggi Estate land was sold at about RM300,000 per acre...
State government have been lax with all the big and rich companies and persons - but behaves differently when it comes to the poor people... Seeing how the courts, police, etc were all on the side of the Developer, and not on the side of the people just shows how things are...Now, police says that 'outsiders' should not get involved. Unless, these 'outsiders' come forward in support of the 'weaker' people of Kg Buah Pala - the rich with its cronies will certainly bull-doze away their homes and their rights. Remember, there is also an appeal to the Federal Court that is yet to be heard...
23/08/09
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