Spotlight on land issues Eager farmers’ new year wish

Wednesday, 25 January 2012 23:05

The phrase an ju le ye (live and work in peace in Chinese) tops Chai Yoon Fook’s wish list this year.

The 51-year-old sweet potato farmer from Malim Nawar, Kampar, is eagerly waiting for the outcome of his application for the title on the land he has been toiling on for decades.

“It (title) is my family’s hope and guarantee for our future,” said Yoon Fook, who is the Malim Nawar Farmers’ Association secretary.

Association chairman Chai Ting, 73, said he hoped to see light at the end of the tunnel soon, which was when the farmers get the land titles.

He said he had waited for almost half a century.

Ornamental fish breeders in neighbouring Gopeng are also banking on the dragon to deliver good news to them.

Gopeng Ornamental Fish Breeders Association secretary Chong Lai San said some 60 breeders, comprising 75% of all breeders in Gopeng, were waiting for the outcome of their application to the state government.

“We have requested the state government to begin by gazetting the land involved for aquaculture,” he said, adding that the size of the concerned land was between 202ha and 243ha.

The trio are among some 1,700 farmers in Perak who have applied to the state government for help to resolve their longstanding land issues.

Many are also expecting the outcome of their applications this year.

Giving an update on the matter, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek who has gone all out to help the farmers since more than a year ago said the state government had resolved the problems of 572 farmers involving a total of 656ha of land to date.

Another 1,117 farmers, involving a total of 2,605ha, were still pending, he added. (see table).

“There is still a long way to go but we (MCA and state government) are committed to helping the farmers,” said Dr Chua, who is Perak MCA chairman.

Describing the process of resolving land issues as “tedious and complicated”, he explained that the state government had to, among others, get input from various government agencies pertaining to the future of land requirements.

Dr Chua said he was glad that Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir had agreed to his suggestion to set up a task force to coordinate efforts to resolve land issues early last year.

The task force is headed by state executive councillor Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon, who is also the Perak MCA Youth chief.

Dr Chua and Dr Mah have been conducting open hearings with the farmers to see how best to solve their problems since then.

But the land issues is just one of the several matters the party is working on.

Dr Chua said the party had also suggested to the state government to extend the 30-year land lease for farmers to 60 years, and the deal be directly between the farmers and state government and not via a third party.

“Aquaculture for instance needs heavy investment and a longer lease will make the investment more financially viable,” he added.

On land premiums of residential areas of new villages, Dr Chua said the owners only have to pay 10% of the actual land value when renewing the lease effective Jan 1 last year, and this was extended to those in towns six months later (July 1, 2011).

This was in addition to the 99-year lease offered to the owners against the 30 or 60-year lease previously.

Some 483,000 residents, including 55,433 new villagers would benefit from the move, Dr Chua added.

From The Star