CAMERON HIGHLANDS: Some 7,000ha of state land here have been identified as having been encroached by farmers.
National Security Council National Operations Management Centre deputy director Asst Commissioner Mohd Shaharudin Baharom said the local authorities believed there could be more land that had been encroached upon.
“The District Land and Mines Department and District Council are in the midst of identifying more of these areas.
“We also need to be precise as not to demolish farms that are legal,” he told reporters after phase two of Ops Gading to clear illegal farms and weed out illegal immigrants at Blue Valley here yesterday.
“Ops Gading will continue until we have eradicated all illegal farms,” he said, adding that five illegal immigrants were nabbed on Monday night.
The operations yesterday were carried out simultaneously at three farms, on 12.1ha in Blue Valley, 2.8ha in Tringkap and 3.6ha in Kampung Raja.
ACP Mohd Shaharudin said notices had been issued to farmers to remove illegal extensions from their farms.
“There have also been a lot of newspaper articles on our operations.
“All farmers should pandai-pandai (be smart). Not knowing cannot be an excuse.
“We cannot negotiate with the farmers to cease our operations and we are only here to do our duty, which is to remove illegal farms and to catch illegal immigrants,” he added.
ACP Mohd Shaharudin said farm owners could forward their complaints to the local government.
He said yesterday’s clean-up operations which involved some 530 personnel from 16 agencies could take about a week to be completed, depending on the weather.-thestar
