TAPAH – Bawani K.S., the PSM candidate for the Ayer Kuning state seat in Perak, has mooted the establishment of a state committee to oversee agricultural land transactions as a means to protect local farmers.
Ideally, the committee must comprise local stakeholders, including farmers, to deliberate whether private entities eyeing state government agricultural land are suited to acquire it for agricultural cultivation or other commercial purposes.
Bawani said such a committee would allow farmers who had cultivated state-owned land for generations to have a say in any land deals and have the opportunity to legally own the land.
“These farmers who had cultivated these (state-owned) lands, producing an array of produce and ultimately bringing value to the land, should have a say in these deals.
“There have been many instances where these lands were sold or alienated by the state government, on the authority of the menteri besar, to private entities for commercial purposes, (which) led to farmers, whose families have worked the land for generations, to be evicted,” she said during a press conference in Ayer Kuning here today.
Bawani, a lawyer by profession and an Ayer Kuning resident, has often dealt with local disputes between farmers, private entities, and state agencies such as the Perak State Agricultural Development Corp and Perak State Development Corp.
She explained that the committee would also be tasked with preserving the state’s food security and reducing its dependence on food imports.
Bawani also said the committee will prevent any conflict of interest as, currently, the menteri besar has the power to approve land deals despite chairing the state agencies which own these agricultural lands.
Disappointed that land issues continue to plague the state and severely impact local farmers, Bawani said she would push for this initiative if she is elected as an assemblyman.
“That is why I am putting myself forward. The farmers need to have a voice in the state assembly,” she said.
The Ayer Kuning and Chenderiang state seats fall under the Tapah parliamentary constituency.
Bawani faces a five-cornered fight against Ishsam Shahruddin from Barisan Nasional (BN), Pakatan Harapan’s Mohd Nazri Hashim, Perikatan Nasional’s Muhammad Noor Farid, and Gerakan Tanah Air’s Maziah Salim.
Ayer Kuning has been touted as an Umno-BN stronghold as the party has retained the seat since 2004. – The Vibes, November 11, 2022
