Perak farmers win interim stay against gov't eviction

Seven farmers today won an interim stay of execution against an eviction order issued by Perak's Menteri Besar Incorporated.

The farmers said Perak MBI was trying to evict them from land near Tronoh, about 30km from Ipoh, on which they have toiled for half a century.

The Court of Appeal granted a stay of execution until the farmers' appeal on their application to quash the eviction is heard, the farmers' counsel, Ambiga Sreenevasan, said.

"The interim stay was granted until the (Court of Appeal) hearing on April 18," Ambiga told Malaysiakini at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya.

The case was presided by Justices Umi Kalthum Abdul Majid, David Wong and Hamid Sultan Abu Backer.

Some 40 vegetable and stock farmers were earlier slapped with an eviction order by Perak MBI, prompting seven of them to take legal action.

They filed an application to quash the eviction order in the High Court in Ipoh, but the court ruled for the Perak MBI. The farmers are appealing this decision in the Court of Appeal.

The farmers sought a stay of execution of the eviction order pending their appeal, but the High Court did not allow a stay.

They then took the matter to the Court of Appeal, which issued the stay of execution pending the appeal.-Mkini