Durian company says it had nothing to do with clearing the durian farms

 

Durian plantation company Royal Pahang Durian Resources PKPP Sdn Bhd (RPDR-PKPP) said that it has nothing to do with the Pahang Forestry Department’s move to cut down 15,000 durian trees owned by the traditional durian farmers there.

It said it would address allegations hurled against the company by “certain parties” on the matter when the time is right.

“In view of the current claims and accusations and/or insinuations being made towards RPDR-PKPP by certain parties, we will not hesitate to act upon it by taking legal action against parties that attempt to insinuate and smear us,” it added in a statement yesterday.

The move came after the Pahang Forestry Department cleared some 250 acres (101ha) of durian orchards that allegedly encroached on state reserve land, which entailed cutting down 15,000 Musang King trees at the Bukit Talam Forest Reserve, Raub, in nine days.

The enforcement action has been criticised by durian farmers under the Save Musang King Alliance (Samka), which is embroiled in a land dispute with RPDR-PKPP that is currently still pending in court.

Tras assemblyperson Chow Yu Hui yesterday decried the enforcement action as “hypocrisy” and he accused the state government of failing to show the same degree of commitment to environmental protection when it came to leasing 1,213ha of land to RPDR-PKPP.

“The state government forcefully evicted the farmers and destroyed the land that they have cultivated for almost 30 years.

“The state government, using the excuse of ‘environment preservation’ to clear the land, is simply hypocritical and shameless,” Chow said.

RPDR-PKPP, meanwhile, insisted that it has adhered to the relevant laws for its projects and has secured federal and state approvals for them, including approval of its environmental impact assessment report.

“As a group, we believe in the importance of adhering to all regulations and we will continue to do so,” it said.

The company also echoed Pahang Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail’s claim that the land cleared by the state government is listed outside the land that is now the subject of the ongoing court dispute, contrary to Samka’s accusations.

Samka had claimed the destroyed trees were part of the disputed land and would seek contempt proceedings against the state government. - Mkini