KUANTAN, Dec 27 — Enforcement against illegal farming activities in the Kuala Terla water catchment area in Sungai Ichat, Cameron Highlands has been suspended for three days effective today, announced Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.
“We have agreed that there will be no enforcement until Sunday because we have received requests from farmers to remove their equipment.
“However, when enforcement resumes on Monday, they will not be allowed into the operations area,” he said, adding that the suspension was an act of leniency on the part of the state government although sufficient notice had been given to the farmers previously.
Speaking at a press conference at Wisma Sri Pahang here today, Wan Rosdy said the enforcement operation called ‘Op Lestari 2’, which was conducted by the Cameron Highlands District and Land Office with the support of agencies including the National Security Council (MKN), is expected to be completed within a month.
Launched on December 16, the operation follows an initial bust, ‘Op Lestari’, aimed at restoring natural water sources, particularly Sungai Ichat which has been badly polluted as a result of illegal development of land for the purposes of agriculture.
The decision to undertake the enforcement was made at the December 9 meeting of a joint action committee on the restoration of Cameron Highlands, jointly chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Wan Rosdy.
This was in line with the wish expressed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah that immediate action be taken against the encroachment of the land, after Sultan Abdullah himself visited the polluted river on September 7.
“We have also been lenient with those involved as according to the law, we can take action under section 425 of the National Land Code 1965 which imposes a maximum penalty comprising a fine of RM500,000 or one year of imprisonment,” Wan Rosdy added. — Bernama
