There is good news at last for the 16 farmers in Chemor, Perak, who were caught in a quandary over their future for the past year.

From losing court battles against the developer to receiving cold treatment from a politician, the farmers can now afford to heave a big sigh of relief — they will soon get the alternative land promised by the state government.

According to one of the farmers, Wai Kam, they have been informed by an official from the Office of Land and Minerals in Ipoh that they will receive "letters of guarantee" for the land by the end of this month.

"We were told to give a photocopy of our identity cards to him. The officers handling the matter will have a meeting with Mentri Besar Mohd Tajol Rosli Ghazali next Thursday to finalise details," he told malaysiakini today.

The farmers were also informed that they could expect to receive the "letters of guarantee" assuring them of the alternative land near their present farms in Tanah Hitam the day after the meeting.

The farmers are offered a total of 31 acres in a new deal. Originally, they were offered only 28 acres, also located elsewhere within Tanah Hitam, which come with a five-year title.

New deal

In the new deal,14 fruit and vegetable farmers will get 16 acres. The other two, a cattle farmer and a poultry farmer, will be given 10 and five acres, respectively.

At present, the farmers are still occupying the land which now belongs to developer Memori Salju Sdn Bhd after the Ipoh High Court granted vacant possession to the company. A subsequent application by the farmers to quash the ruling failed.

The farmers have asked the developer for more time so they can harvest their produce before moving to the new site.

"We also hope to be given ample time to shift our farming tools to the new place," Wai said.

The Tanah Hitam farmland has been cultivated by the farmers for three generations.