A group of Orang Asli villagers has filed an application for judicial review in a bid to stop the Pahang government from selling a plot of land over which they claim Native Customary Rights (NCR), to government subsidiary Tabung Haji Plantations.

The application was filed at the Temerloh High Court by lawyer M Ramachelvan on behalf of Kampung Orang Asli Sg Buan headman or patin , Majid Jaffar, this afternoon. The village is located in Rompin.

The application named the Pahang government, director of the state Land and Mines Department, Orang Asli Department and the government as defendants.

Ramachelvam said he was accompanied by some 100 Orang Asli villagers.

According to the lawyer, the problem began when the Land and Mines Department issued a notice to Majid on Nov 1, instructing the occupants to vacate the site within 14 days.

The notice also stated that the 400ha plot had been sold to Tabung Haji Plantations and that the crops cultivated by the villagers would be destroyed if they did not do as instructed.

'Occupied for generations'

The villagers refused to vacate the land, claiming the location had been given to them by the government under the NCR programme.

"Generation after generation has lived here. They have cultivated the land and it is also part of their hunting ground on which they depend to survive," Ramachelvam told Malaysiakini .

"They have set up farms, grown crops and lived on the natural resources in the area for generations and they believe that no action should be taken against them should they refuse to vacate, as this is NCR land."

Six days after the deadline expired, Tabung Haji Plantations' contractors - accompanied by the police and staff of the land department - arrived to level the land and destroy the crops and farms.

"Two villagers tried to stop them and were detained by the police but released later," said Ramachelvam, adding that the villagers have lodged a police report on the matter.

No date has been set by the court for a decision.