Durian group denies '300 farmers committed to legalisation scheme' claim

The Save Musang King Alliance (Samka) has denied that some 300 durian farmers in Raub were ready to sign the contract for the durian farm legalisation scheme with the Royal Pahang Durian Resources-PKPP Sdn Bhd (RPDR-PKPP).

“With regard to RPDR-PKPP’s claim that some 300 farmers are ready to sign the contract while 133 of them had paid the earnest money of RM1,000 to the corporation, Samka accused RPDR-PKPP of lying brazenly to the public,” Samka said in a statement today.

They said the 300 farmers who had purportedly registered with the corporation, as claimed by RPDR-PKPP, were merely farmers who had attended the briefing and registered themselves before the briefing by following the ordinary registration process.

Meanwhile, the farmers who made the “payment” were by no means signing any contract, they said, but merely wanted to purchase an entry permit in order to enter their own farms.

“This is because RPDR-PKPP utilised the final notice issued by the land office on Aug 24 to threaten the farmers, saying that only those who have purchased the entry permit will be allowed to enter their durian farms after Aug 24.

“Due to immense pressure from the corporation, some farmers were forced to purchase the so-called ‘entry permit’ for RM1,000 per acre of their land. Nevertheless, this is in no way an indication that the farmers had agreed to the terms and are ready to sign the exploitative and unequal contract offered by RPDP-PKPP," Samka said.

They said when the farmers made the payment, RPDP-PKPP had promised that they would fully reimburse the money should the farmers end up refusing to sign the agreement.

“The existence of a reimbursement mechanism is self-evident as it proves that RPDP-PKPP had acknowledged that the farmers were not signing any contract, but merely paying for the temporary ‘entry permit’.

“However, RPDP-PKPP now told the media that the farmers had agreed to the terms in the contract, even though the fact is that they merely made the payment for the entry permits.

“It is crystal clear that RPDP-PKPP was trying to shamelessly deceive and mislead the public into believing that many farmers did not object the contract,” Samka said.

In order to stop the exploitation of farmers who had purchased the entry permits, Samka said they have launched a “reimbursement campaign” and urged all farmers who had purchased entry permits “unwillingly or under the undue influence” to stand up and stay united.

Samka also called upon RPDP-PKPP to reimburse all payments made to purchase the entry permits in order to prevent farmers from being exploited by the corporation.

Samka also claimed that RPDR-PKPP was in a “shaky and perilous financial situation”, based on its Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) report.

“Samka urged RPDP-PKPP to stop sacrificing all farmers by offering the exploitative and unequal contract, just to serve its self-interest of salvaging the shaky corporation and maximising its profits,” they said.

They also responded to RPDP-PKPP’s claim that the RM6,000 levy per acre is a one-off lump sum for the year 2020 only, saying that the corporation had not explained the purpose of such a fee which now appears to be a rent-seeking strategy.

RPDR-PKPP had yesterday said at least 300 farmers had engaged with the company and dismissed claims that none of the farmers is backing the scheme.

The corporation had also previously responded to concerns raised by the farmers over its financial position, saying that they were related to the Royal Pahang Durian Produce Sdn Bhd (RPDP), which is the owner of a 404.68ha durian farm in Tras in Raub, Pahang.

"The liabilities shown are the amount owing to shareholders. Shareholders have injected their own money into the farm through the company as a loan.

"The gestation period is six years. Hence, there's no sales and income as yet, and RPDP expects first fruiting in 2022," it had said.

Previously, Pahang Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail had also warned that he does not intend to compromise with the farmers because they are occupying land illegally. - Mkini