Kapar farmers: Return our land before March 8

"Return our land to us before March 8, or you can kiss our votes good bye."

This was the terse message from about a dozen former farmers and their family members from Kampung Perepat in the parliamentary constituency of Kapar to Barisan Nasional’s incumbent candidate P Komala Devi ( photo, far right ).

Describing themselves as victims of a ‘land-grab’ by a certain MIC-linked Datuk, they are bitter and frustrated at all the promises by government leaders and politicians to have the land returned to them.

From the 2004 general election up to the current run up to the March 8 election, all promises have come up short, they said.

Empty promises

"We have had enough of all these promises. We want the same land that was taken away from us to be returned before March 8. Or else, not only will we not vote for the MIC. We will even campaign for the opposition," said A Arulmani.

Arulmani’s father had worked his one-acre land since granted in the early 1980s a Temporary Occupation License (TOL) under the government’s Revolusi Hijau (Green Revolution) scheme.

He was among 900 Indian, Malay and Chinese farmers then promised by the government ownership of 1 to 1.6 acre-plots of land in the area on condition they cultivate the land within one year.

Despite having fulfilled that and other conditions - they planted and harvested cane, potatoes, coconuts and oil palm and duly renewed their TOLs every year - these former farmers and many others from the original 900 have yet to receive their grants.

The shocker came in 2002 when they discovered upon checking with the Klang land office that the land they had worked on since 1981 had surreptitiously been ‘awarded’ to relatives and friends of a MIC-linked Datuk, who owns a legal firm in Klang.

The plots of land that they used to call their own were also eventually fenced off and gated.

All those interviewed when met at Kampung Perepat could only point to their former land and speak wistfully as these lay beyond the gate and were now the private property of the Datuk.

S Muniandy, 82, said his heart problem started and became worst since the discovery about five years ago that his land now belonged to somebody else.

"I used to work the land. Now, I cannot because of my heart (condition). I’m depending on my five children to help out (with living expenses)," said Muniandy.

Getting even during polls

Despite having written and spoken to officials at the Klang land office, the Anti-Corruption Agency, state government exco members, Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo and MIC leaders, all that the farmers got in response were either dead ends or more empty promises.

"We are all Barisan Nasional (supporters). But Barisan Nasional has sold off us Indians," said another former farmer, A Vella.

However, S Gunalan, a son of another former Kampung Perepat farmer, said the group is not completely powerless as the upcoming poll offers them an opportunity to convey their demands very clearly to the BN.

While many from the original 900 had received ‘offer letters’ from the state government to own the land plots, they had not received anything beyond such offers, said Gunalan.

Put these people together with their children and their grown-up grandchildren and you have a quite a large group of very disgruntled voters who are now against the BN, said Gunalan.

"It comes up to a couple of thousands of voters. This will have a definite impact on the BN if they fail to solve this problem before the election," warned Vella.