Holdings company, Kampung Gatco settler John Cantius was shocked to find strangers entering his village area to clear the rubber trees in parts of the disputed 4,932-acre land in Bahau, Negeri Sembilan.
The settlers were so displeased with the incident that they included it as one of their demands to MIC in the memorandum handed yesterday (today) at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday (today).
Accompanied by about 50 fellow settlers who held protest banners and placards, John alleged that “in March, 2015, the former Negeri Sembilan MIC Youth chief, M Thirunaukarasu, had trespassed into the plantation and chopped off about 500 acres of rubber estate land and brought out the trees and produce.”
“This is trespassing and theft because Thamarai Holdings has admitted it was not involved in timber production. So, who is this Thirunaukarasu? Not only did he chop and steal the trees, he brought ‘gangsters’ to attack the settlers, to hurt us, and used the police’s help to attack us when they were stealing,” John alleged.
“How can they enter? Because at the time, the case was still in discussion at court, and the court had declared that nobody can enter the plantation – it can’t be sold, can’t be bought, can’t be pawned, can’t be divided.
“So how did Thirunaukarasu enter? How did Thamarai Holdings allow the division of lands to state government? How can the state government give (settlement offerings) to settlers? It shows they are defying the court’s orders,” John said.
“We urge MIC to conduct a thorough investigation on Thirunakarausu, and take disciplinary action on him,” he added.
When contacted by Malaysiakini, Thirunaukarasu said: “They (settlers) failed to justify that the land is theirs in the previous 10 years (that the case has dragged on).
“I’ve got no right to get into their details, I’m not in a position to comment on behalf of Lotus or anybody” Thirunaukarasu added.
“I was there (at the place of the incident) as a contractor appointed by Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri, Negeri Sembilan (PKNNS). And I have all the documents to prove it.
“I was there to clear the land (and) surrender back to the PKNNS in order for replantation, because 1,206 acres were given by Lotus to the state government,” he said.
He also stressed that the incident had nothing to do with MIC, reiterating once again that he was there in his individual capacity as a contractor.
The other demands made in the Kampung Gatco settlers’ memorandum to MIC were:
- To ask MIC to intervene and ensure that eight acres of land (as was agreed upon in the original agreement in the 1970s) are given to every Gatco settler;
- To discuss with Thamarai Holdings Sdn Bhd so that the company would return the particular land rights to Gatco settlers (the settlers claimed the company had attained the rights unlawfully); and
- To discuss with the Negeri Sembilan government so that the rights of Gatco settlers are protected and they are given the right to their respective eight acres of land.
The memorandum also stated that MIC also needs to stress that the Negeri Sembilan government’s offer of between two and four acres of land to each Gatco settlers was unfair and the state government should abide by the Federal Court’s decision.
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