Save Bangsar farm that helps poor and praised by PM, founder pleads

 

More than 8,300 people have signed a petition on Change.org asking the authorities not to demolish Kebun-Kebun Bangsar. (Kebun-Kebun Bangsar Facebook pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: A group running a vegetable farm beneath a power line on a hillside in Bangsar is pleading with the authorities to allow it to continue after the land office told it to vacate the land.

The Federal Territory office of the department of the director-general of lands and mines (JKPTG) also threatened the group with a RM500,000 fine and a jail term of five years if it failed to comply. The department also threatened to clear the land.

The 8.5 acre “Kebun-Kebun Bangsar” farm on Lorong Bukit Pantai began five years ago as a community project. The volunteers grow vegetables, fruits and flowers, which are given to the poor and to soup kitchens.

The project was praised by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who gave the farm a special mention in his World Environmental Day speech earlier this month.

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The farm’s founder Ng Sek San, 62, said nearly 300 volunteers helped till and farm the land. He said the farm was run legally as the land office had given a two-year temporary occupation licence (TOL) in 2016, with the backing of Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

However, in 2018, the TOL was not extended, with Ng only realising that the licence had expired two years later, as stated in an eviction letter. Ng has also received a nuisance notice from City Hall.

He said he had written several letters of appeal to the authorities.

Ng said 19 out of 20 residents adjacent to the farm supported the project, barring one “politically-linked VIP” who was dead-set against it.

More than 8,300 people have signed a petition on Change.org, demanding that the authorities do not demolish the farm.

Ng said the farm aimed to help those less fortunate and to make children conscious of the need to reverse climate change.

He said he wanted to continue with the project but was afraid that volunteers would be deterred from helping following the threat from the authorities.

“Every week, thousands come to our farm to acquaint themselves with nature. We want to be left alone to do our work peacefully. It must be protected and safeguarded by everyone, including City Hall and the other authorities.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Territory JKPTG director Muhammad Yasir Yahya said action was taken against the Kebun-Kebun Bangsar community farm as it had violated the terms of the TOL for nurseries.

Yasir said the terms included the type of crops grown on the farm and that there should not be any permanent structure built under the electric pylons based on the technical feedback from Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).

“The department also received complaints of disturbances lodged by residents.

“Investigations revealed that the nursery (Kebun-Kebun Bangsar) keeps various livestock such as chickens, ducks and sheep, thus raising other issues such as odour pollution, flies and noise disturbance, which led to the enforcement action,” Bernama quoted him as saying in a statement.

He said the department was supportive of the urban farm initiative but the regulations must be followed for the benefit of all parties.

FMT has contacted KL City Hall for comment. - FMT