A total of 39 ornamental Koi fish farmers from Perak are worried that their livelihood may be affected because of a dispute over the land on which their fish ponds are located.

This concerns the 162.64 acres of land in Kampung Bali, Tronoh, on which they have established their fish ponds since the 1980s.

While they do not have a legal title or lease to the land, the farmers claimed their activities are done with the state government's knowledge, which had also given them encouragement and promised to resolve the land issue.

However, not all of the land is under the state government, with 25.15 acres belonging to 15 private owners under the Bali Cluster Land Plan (RTB).

The dispute arose after seven of these private owners sold off their legal share of the land and the new owners are now demanding that the fish breeders vacate the plots.

"One night, some men came to my doorstep and told us our Koi fish ponds were now theirs. After that, I could not sleep soundly. If they have their way, three generations of Koi farmers in our village will lose their jobs," said Ng Soon Chi, 37.

Ng is among 20 fish farmers who, with the help of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), submitted a memorandum to the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, seeking for an intervention.

The fish farmers want the Perak government to implement the decision of the state executive council, which was disclosed to the state assembly on Aug 26, 2013.

During the sitting, the fish farmers said, Perak Menteri Besar Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir announced that the state government would surrender the 162.64 acres of the land to the Perak State Agriculture Development Corporation (SADC), which would then lease it to the existing fish farmers, thereby providing them with a legal status.

'Zambry promised to compensate'

As for the disputed part of the land owned by private owners, the fish farmers said Zambry promised to compensate them with a matching size of land at another area.

"Why has the Perak government not fulfilled the exco's decision to date, as announced to the state assembly on Aug 26, 2013?" they asked in the memorandum submitted to Suhakam.

The group said the government had, in the past, also given the fish farmers recognition and had even acknowledged them in Parliament.

They pointed to a parliamentary written reply by Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek last month in which he stated: "In 2016, 35 fish breeders managed to produce a total of 1.5 million ornamental fish worth RM1.5 million for the domestic and international market."

They said the minister noted their predicament by stating that the part of the land was already under ownership, but he did not provide any solution.

Malaysiakini has contacted the Batu Gajah Municipal Council and the Perak menteri besar's office and is waiting for their response.