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GEORGE TOWN: Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) chief Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj has lodged a police report demanding the release of a farmer in Perak arrested for allegedly obstructing the duty of a policeman in Chemor.
The arrest concerns Persatuan Petani Moden Chemor chief Tan Tean Chee, 60, a farmer who was at the forefront of others in trying to stop soil testers from entering their farm.
The issue concerns an ongoing legal battle between some 132 farmers in Chemor and a Perak government body, which saw the farmers being evicted last December to give way to a major development there.
According to Jeyakumar, last week, lawyers for the Perak Development Corporation (PKNP) had asked permission to enter the farmland (for soil testing), but the judge denied the request.
“However, yesterday morning, the soil testers escorted by policemen entered the farmland at about 9am.
“The farmers blocked them because the land issue was now in the High Court and was being tried. After three hours, the PKNP people left the site. There was no incident and no damage to property.
“Then, at about 9pm last night, a group of policemen arrested Tan at his home for alleged obstruction of duty of a public servant under the Penal Code,” he told FMT.
Jeyakumar, who was with Tan at the time of the arrest, had asked the arresting sergeant major why Tan was being arrested, to which the officer replied that he was on orders by the district police chief to arrest Tan under Section 186 of the Penal Code.
“I’m disappointed with the police action which has criminalised a civil matter and intimidated a civilian by being on the side of those who violated a court order. Tan should be released immediately,” he said.
Jeyakumar said a candlelight vigil was held outside the Ipoh district police headquarters last night demanding his release.
FMT has contacted the Perak police chief and PKNP for comment.
According to Jeyakumar, the 132 affected farmers in Kanthan are third-generation farmers, whose lands were opened by their grandparents before the second world war.
He said PKNP, however, decided to convert the entire Kanthan area from agricultural to residential and industrial development, later alienating the land to three developers.
“They churn out about 50 to 60 tons of produce per day, including corn, brinjal, ladies fingers, long beans, water lily, a variety of leafy vegetables, freshwater fish and oil palm. It is the largest single market gardening site in Perak,” he said. - FMT
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