"Why is the state government willing to offer land to housing developers but not to farmers?" asked Wai Kam, a vegetable farmer in Tanah Hitam, Chemor, Perak.
Wai Kam is among 16 farmers in the state who have to surrender their land for a housing development project which the state government said would include low-cost houses for the poor.
Despite facing imminent eviction, the farmers are still tending to their farms and have even erected a signboard warning against 'intruders'.
Their uphill struggle to preserve their land and livelihood began early last year following the Ipoh High Court's decision to grant vacant possession to the developer, Memori Salju Sdn Bhd.
Their appeal is still pending but their application for a stay of execution was quashed by the same court hence providing the developer with a free hand to evict them.
With a straw-hat and white towel slung around his neck, Wai Kam is an epitome of a Chinese farmer. His tanned skin speaks of the many years of toiling under the sweltering heat.
"We farmers don't know the law, we only know how to farm," he said.
Being third-generation farmers and after working the land for so many years, they have every reason to be frustrated with the state government.
Not only are their lands being taken away, they have also discovered that the developer is closely linked to a local politician.
"Most of these developers are connected to politicians. We dare to say this because we have proof," said Wai Kam.
Bureaucratic runaround
The farmer also lamented that their letters of appeal to the elected representatives were a waste of time and that they were subjected to the bureaucratic runaround.
"We wrote to Umno and were told to refer the matter to MCA. However, MCA referred us back to Umno because they are the elected representatives for this area," he said.
He claimed that the member of parliament for Tambun Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah and the Ulu Kinta state assemblyperson Mazidah Zakaria, who is also a state executive councillor, had failed to address their predicament.
The farmers were also given the cold shoulder from state executive councilor, Ramly Zahari, who oversees land issues in Tanah Hitam.
Meanwhile, award-winning cattle farmer Tham Yeong Chai also expressed his dismay with the state government which in the past had urged farmers to progress.
"We want to progress but how to progress without land?" he asked.
The farmer, who has received numerous awards from the state government, also questioned why land is not offered to successful farmers as an incentive.
Although farmers are poor, he said, they could obtain a loan from the bank to buy the land.
"Why doesn't the government encourage farmers to buy the land? Why must it build houses?
"If we're given five acres, we can borrow money from the bank. Why must they always build houses? Besides, these houses are for the rich," he said.
Wai agreed with Tham. "For three generations, we're unable to buy even an acre of land," he said.
Alternative land
In the latest development, the state government was reported to have offered the farmers alternative land nearby.
However, the farmers who are currently using about 65 acres of land in Tanah Hitam, were only offered a total of 31 acres.
According to the offer, 14 fruit and vegetable farmers will get 16 acres. The other two, a cattle farmer and a poultry farmer, will be given 10 and five acres, respectively.
Apart from this, Wai Kam also wondered whether the alternative land would be suitable for farming.
"It's not that we like it but we are forced to accept it," he said.
The farmer then pointed to the alternative land, which is located on a hill, and asked: "What can I plant there?"
As for now, the farmers still occupy the land which is legally owned by the developer. They are appealing for more time in order to harvest their crops.
Their future is probably etched in the development taking place some distance away in Gunung Pari, Kuala Kuang.
The once thriving farmland is now barren. In the near future, luxurious bungalows and not vegetables will occupy the land.
