CAMERON POLLS | PSM activist Suresh Kumar has urged candidates in the Jan 26 Cameron Highlands by-election to stop the “drama” and get serious about solving the problems faced by constituents.
Suresh, who ran for the parliamentary seat in the last general election, told Malaysiakini in an interview that candidates should stop pretending they have been working with the local community – particularly the Orang Asli, who make up more than a fifth of the voters.
“The incoming MP, whether from BN or Pakatan Harapan, should stop the drama.
“Stop pretending and take it up seriously. Just say, ‘Yes, Cameron Highlands has these kinds of problems, if I win I will go after and see.’ Don’t say you have been working with Orang Asli all this time, that they have been taken care of... Come on, lah,” he said.
Suresh also took issue with Lim Kit Siang talking about his recent trip to an Orang Asli settlements in Cameron Highlands, during which he was trapped in Kampung Orang Asli Semoi Lama on New Year’s Eve, along with Harapan candidate M Manogaran.
“When I saw Lim going in, I thought, what role is he going to play (in Cameron Highlands)?
“If there is something that needs to be said, why does it have to come out of Lim’s mouth? Why can’t Manogaran voice it out?
"Don't you say you need to bring Lim if you want to highlight something. Then, what is the purpose of you as a politician representing Cameron Highlands?”
Land seizures
An activist who has served in Cameron Highlands for the past 15 years, Suresh pointed out that there are four major issues in the constituency that need urgent resolution – Orang Asli customary land, deforestation, traffic and the plight of those in the bottom 40 percent (B40) income group.
On native customary land, he noted that no Orang Asli communities have been given land rights, except for several cases in Selangor.
As Suresh explained, the Semai in Kampung Raja and the Temiar in neighbouring Gua Musang have continually faced threats and evictions from their lands.
He and Orang Asli communities have sent memoranda to the office of the Kelantan menteri besar three times over these evictions, and once organised a sit-in protest in front of the Gua Musang Land and District Office.
Orang Asli communities, he added, do not just face threats from authorities and developers, but from the local people as well. He pointed to a recent case of a teacher in Cameron Highlands and his friends attempting to cheat the Orang Asli of six acres of land – which was only prevented when they lodged a police report.
Impending disaster
On deforestation, Suresh said that town planning statistics indicate a dramatic increase in forest areas being cleared for agriculture in the last two decades. In 1997, only 1,000 hectares were categorised as farming areas, but this increased tenfold by 2015.
“Can you see the rate of forest clearing going on? And this is just for farming. I haven’t included private developments, as we couldn’t get statistics on that.
“I think at this rate, Cameron Highlands will not last long… you will have a major landslide. It doesn’t have to be in one place, but one town will be gone. Maybe Tanah Rata.
“So, I think whoever wins the by-election has to reduce deforestation, slow it down. They said Ops Gading slowed it down, but if you ask people there, they will tell you it was just eyewash. In reality, deforestation has not slowed down,” he added.
Ops Gading in 2014 saw 14 state and federal departments and agencies, including the police and military, tear down many illegal farm structures in Cameron Highlands.
At the time, Manogaran said the operation had turned the area into a “war zone” and accused the then-BN government of “punishing” farmers for their support of the opposition in the 13th general election.
Traffic woes
According to Suresh, traffic has also become a major concern in Cameron Highlands, affecting both locals and the tourism industry.
Citing statistics from the Cameron Highlands District Council (MDCH), he said as many as 20,000 private cars come into the area during weekends and holidays, which clogs the already limited number of roads there.
He suggested improving bus services and increasing the toll rates for entry into Cameron Highlands to discourage the use of private vehicles.
“Make the people walk more. Make the bus services more frequent., and let taxi services supplement the places that buses cannot go.
“The incoming MP must do something about this. I think we must have open discussions with residents, town planners and experts. Work something out," Suresh added.
'Hidden' residents
Suresh also revealed that there are many “hidden” residents in Cameron Highlands, who fall under the B40 classification, and that their living conditions are getting worse.
“I call them ‘hidden’ because you won’t see them from the main roads. They are in the rural parts of Cameron Highlands and include residents from every ethnic group.
“Most of them do not own houses, they either rent or squat. They do not have job security, as they support the farming and hotel industries, and are semi-skilled or unskilled workers.”
Suresh believes that these low-income residents continue to be neglected, as he cannot see any upcoming development projects aimed at improving their livelihoods.
The incoming Cameron Highlands MP, he stressed, must be aware of the urgent need to uplift these B40 residents.
With PSM and PAS sitting out of the polls, the Cameron Highlands by-election is likely to be a contest among Harapan, BN and several possible independent candidates.
The by-election was triggered when the Election Court declared the seat vacant, after determining that vote-buying in GE14 – primarily among Orang Asli voters – had led to the narrow victory of MIC vice-president C Sivarraajh.
MIC did not appeal the court decision. The party subsequently decided to pull out from contesting its traditional seat to allow the BN leadership to choose its candidate.
BN will announce its chosen candidate today. - Mkini
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