IPOH – Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad has denied allegations that the Perak Menteri Besar Incorporated (MB Inc) resorted to persecution and forcibly evicted farmers in Pasir Panjang Ulu, Perak Tengah district.
He said the process was carried out legally, adding that MB Inc held a series of direct negotiations with the farm operators since 2021, in addition to offering ex-gratia at a reasonable rate.
Saarani even revealed that the operators who cultivated the land without permission were asking for compensation of RM100,000 for 0.4ha to get them to leave the land.
“MB Inc did not agree to the request and only agreed to give an ex-gratia payment of RM2,000 for 0.4ha to the illegal operators on the 324.15ha land,” he said at a media conference after the Perak state government’s open day at Indera Mulia Stadium here yesterday.
Saarani said the rate of compensation they demanded was unfair to MB Inc as the landlord.
He said the Phase 1 Cleanup operation on December 29 last year involved a small part of the oil palm plantation area of 8.09ha out of the total leased mining land, adding that it was done to develop a tin mining project that could potentially contribute revenue to the state government.
He said he did not want certain quarters to play up the issue and exacerbate the situation.
“We are always committed to taking a prudent approach in solving issues like this, especially involving the repossession of land owned by the state government.
“The same was true of the action we took against the Perak State Development Corporation land settlers in Silver Valley Technology Park in Chemor and Kanthan, which we handled according to the law,” he said. – January 5, 2024