The property developer in a legal tussle with Kampung Gatco settlers over a rubber plantation has rubbished allegations that the firm is "stealing" rubber logs from the land.

Thamarai Holdings COO R Ramalingam Pillai said they are the legal landowners and they had the Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) to confirm this.

"How can one steal from one's own land?" asked Ramalingam Pillai when interviewed recently.

He explained that his company had to remove old trees due to poor yield for a replanting exercise.

He also accused settlers of exploiting the plantation for their own interest although they did not have rights to it.

The SPA was executed in 2004, granting Thamarai Holdings rights to the 4,700 acre land in Bahau, Negeri Sembilan after the previous owner - Great Alonioners Trading Corporation Bhd (Gatco) - went bust.

However, 140 Kampung Gatco villagers are suing the company, along with two liquidators. The matter will be heard at the Court of Appeal.

Villagers are seeking to declare the sale null and void because they claim it was conducted whilst they were still in discussion to purchase the land from Gatco.

The plaintiffs argued that they paid Gatco RM7,600 each to settle in the firm's estate in 1977. They also claim that they were promised eight acres of land when Gatco collapsed. 

Ramalingam believes that the lawsuit is an exercise in futility because Thamarai Holdings acquired the land for a whopping RM16 million. 

Last Friday, villagers and Parti Sosialis Malaysia activists held a press conference to accuse the Negeri Sembilan government of colluding with Thamarai Holdings and extending the tenure of their lease.

Ramalingam said that the allegation was false because the lease on the land was not extended due to the ongoing civil suit. 

Previously, Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan warned the villagers that the state government was running out of patience with their antics and vowed development at the estate would proceed.

Read Kiniguide: Keeping up with the 40-year Kg Gatco row.