A group of about 40 cattle breeders and estate workers staged a protest outside the Bukit Aman Federal police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

The protesters who are from Selangor and Perak alleged that the police had misconducted themselves in the handling of land dispute problems in their areas. They claimed that the police in Klang and Ipoh districts were colluding with the developers to oppress the residents in Bukit Tinggi and Strathisla Estate respectively.

Bukit Tinggi residents claimed to have made 42 police reports on the violations and threats by developers Labur Bina Sdn Bhd and Gemilang Waras. Strathisla Estate residents claimed to have made about 80 police reports on the Perak State Economic Development Corporation.

They claimed that the police have yet to act on their complaints and wanted to lodge a complaint with Bukit Aman on the matter.

The protest went without any untoward incident. About 10 policemen, including several anti-riot personnel, stood guard over the protestors. Senior police officers allowed five of the protestors into the police headquarters to lodge their complaints.

The five Parti Sosialis Malaysia protem chairperson Dr Nasir Hashim, M Saraswathy from rural development NGO Alaigal, Jody Perumal, Ramu Tanapal and A Thevindran filed their complaint with ASP V Muthusamy.

No police action

PSM protem secretary-general S Arutchelvan, who is one of the protest co-ordinators, said police ignored their reports made against the developers in their respective areas.

"We are here to lodge a complaint (against the police officers concerned), not to submit a memorandum," he said. "We've already lodged a lot of police reports."

Arutchelvan said that the residents want Bukit Aman's intervention to stop the police officers in Klang and Ipoh from colluding with the developers.

He explained that the land disputes from both areas have been brought to court. But before the hearing could begin, the developers have already encroached on their land, he claimed.

"The police disrespect the court. The developers also disrespect the court," Arutchelvan said.

Meanwhile, Suara Warga Pertiwi co-ordinator K Ramasamy alleged that Labur Bina and Gemilang Waras hired thugs and paid the local police to threaten the residents in Bukit Tinggi when the developers failed to obtained a high court injunction to evict the residents.

SWP, established since 1991, works to promote the rights of landless people and their needs by specially addressing the workers and low income groups.

Ramasamy alleged that the police have been bribed and that a senior police officer from Klang had been seen having a meal with the developer.

On Jan 3, 17 residents in Bukit Tinggi was arrested by police when they tried to stop the developer from encroaching on their farms. During the incident, two residents were hurt and had to seek treatment at a hospital.

Two weeks later, the police again arrested five residents for trying to stop the developer from proceeding with their work.

The project to develop the former oil palm plantation into a township began last year. However, negotiations between Labur Bina and the farmers failed to reach a conclusion.

The land was originally owned by Guthrie Plantations but was later sold to Gemilang Waras which hired Labur Bina as the contractor to develop the land.

The farmers, who were originally plantation workers for Guthrie, claimed that developer did not have the right to evict them from the land where they have stayed for more than 70 years.

Court case pending

K Kunasekaran who represented the Strathisla Estate workers in Jelapang, Ipoh, said that the local police allowed the developer to destroy the pipes and community hall in the estate.

He claimed that on Jan 14, about 20 policemen led by one Insp Rosidi, on orders of the Ipoh police chief, arrested five residents when they tried to stop the developer from encroaching on their land.

The residents claimed that the police actions were in contempt of court. They maintained that the status quo remains until the court makes a decision on the matter. The case will be heard in the Ipoh High Court on May 13.

The land, once part of the Golden Hope estate, was still occupied by some 50 of its former estate workers who were laid off in 1999.

They have not vacated the land as no satisfactory alternative housing agreement had been reached with the Perak SEDC. The residents have asked for a compensation of RM1,000 per year of work but the corporation has offered only RM500 for each year.