COMMENT | For generations, cattle have been reared in plantations by estate workers. This practice began when plantation wages were critically low, prompting Abdul Razak Hussein, the second prime minister of Malaysia, to introduce the Buku Hijau initiative.

This initiative encouraged workers to cultivate vegetables and raise livestock to supplement their income. Over the decades, while many plantation families moved away, some continued to rear cattle on estate peripheries.

Several plantation managers, including Guthrie, historically allowed space and support for these farmers.

However, in recent years, particularly in 2019, Sime Darby introduced a zero-cattle policy, demanding the immediate removal of...