Farmers left in the cold
52 sold agriculture plots for mining, but land now converted to housing
R. Nadeswaran and Terence Fernandez (The Sun)
SHAH ALAM: With a few strokes of the pen, the state acquired agricultural land in Banting, Selangor, from a group of farmers for mining. That was in 1982. Without a single hole being dug, the land is now in private hands and the usage of the land has been changed to housing.
The case of acquisition of 111ha of oil palm plantation is a study of how state instruments are used to acquire land for private interests. It shows that individuals in the state government then got the farmers to surrender their land by making promises which they did not intend to keep.
Having gazetted the acquisition for mining in 1982, the previous land-owners near Brooklyn Estate who had been harvesting oil palm and vegetables since 1962, were told that:
» they would be given alternative land;
» they may continue harvesting until mining commences;
» they would be compensated for the loss of the oil palm trees and vegetable farms.
However, no mining ever commenced and apart from receiving RM8,000 each for their trees and crops, the 52 farmers never received the replacement land that was promised.
In the interim period, the ownership of the land changed several times – first to the hands of state-owned Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Berhad, which then sold the land to another state subsidiary SAP Holdings Berhad in 1994.
In 1996, by another transaction, property developer Goodcrest Development Sdn Bhd was given temporary ownership of the land.
SAP had then entered into a settlement agreement with another state subsidiary Perangsang International Sdn Bhd (PISB) in 1999, following which the land was transferred permanently to Goodcrest Development under a "joint venture" for RM8.45 million on April 5, 2000.
Goodcrest Development directors in the transfer deed were listed as Tan Cha Fak and Tan Chern Chee.
The company’s latest annual return form dated June 30, 2008, names Koh Thuan Heng and Kok Kian On as shareholders – the former holding 249,000 of 250,000 shares; and the latter only one share.
Recent checks with the Companies Commission of Malaysia reveal that Goodcrest Development was registered on Aug 12, 1995 and its directors are now listed as Jamaludin Mohamed and Rosli Mamat – both appointed on Sept 10, 2007.
Last October, the farmers who had been regularly harvesting the vegetables and oil palm were prevented from entering the land.
One of them who approached theSun said as far as the agreement he signed 27 years ago is concerned, he should only cease to harvest the land once mining starts.
"To our understanding, there was no such thing as a housing development project," said the man who had lodged a police report on Dec 3 last year.
He said the former landowners will be seeking legal counsel to advise them as to their rights and to ensure that the state government honours its end of the bargain which includes offering them alternative land.
