by Norni Mahadi, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on August 26, 2014, Tuesday
MIRI: About 100 oil palm smallholders from Tinjar and Bakong staged protests at the Land and Survey Department and at Malaysia Palm Oil Board (MPOB) branch office here yesterday.
Ling (middle) with the protesters.
Litus (second right) airs problems faced by smallholders in Tinjar and Bakong to MPOB staff. Ling is on third right.
They first carried banners to Wisma Pelita before going to the Land and Survey Department’s Miri office.
They claimed the department had denied them their Native Customary Rights (NCR) land when it permitted oil palm companies to open up large scale plantations.
The protestors then went to MPOB Miri office at Centrepoint Commercial Centre.
MPOB’s directive to agents of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) not to get their supply from smallholders, especially those with land dispute cases, had angered the protestors.
It was understood that allegations of smallholders stealing FFB from a company had prompted MPOB to issue the directive.
To show their frustration, the protesters brought along some unsold oil palm fruits and dumped them onto the staircase leading to MPOB’s office on the first floor and onto the front of the office’s counter.
Saying that they were prepared for dialogues, they demanded MPOB to resolve the issue by the end of this month.
Planter Litus Jau, from Logan Bunut, described MPOB’s directive as ‘unfair’.
He said he had a legitimate licence and, thus, could not understand why his oil palm fruits were rejected.
“It is really unfair, particular to those with licence. The decision by MPOB has cost me over RM10,000 in losses.”
He hoped MPOB would settle the issue quickly.
“We are fulltime oil palm planters, and our income depends on selling our FFB.”
Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/08/26/100-oil-palm-smallholders-protest/#ixzz3BURisJEJ
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