KUANTAN: A state assemblyman has urged the Pahang government to form a special committee to examine and address the issue of land encroachment in the state.
Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji (PH-Tras) said the committee could comprise various parties, including former officers of the Land and Mines Office, land experts from higher education institutions, police, lawyers and religious scholars.
He said the committee should be given three months to submit a proposed action plan for implementation by the state government.
“A special committee should be formed to review this issue and propose fair and win-win solutions. Encroachment must be stopped, and encroached land must not be left unattended for too long, as this can lead to theft of harvestable crops for sale,“ he said.
He was speaking during the debate on the motion of thanks on the royal address by the Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, in the Pahang State Legislative Assembly today.
Earlier, the Sultan of Pahang decreed that the ongoing issue of land encroachment in the state must be resolved, noting that 14,494.9 hectares of state land have been encroached and illegally cultivated with oil palm, rubber, durian and other crops.
In addition, His Royal Highness said that 5,997.09 hectares of Permanent Forest Reserves (HSK) have also been encroached under the guise of agriculture, which in reality is an open theft of state property.
Shahril Azman Abd Halim (PN-Jengka) supported the state government’s firm action in addressing the issue by taking encroachers to court instead of issuing compounds.
Separately, Chan Chun Kuang (PH-Semambu) urged the state government to consider enacting specific legislation to protect the people of Pahang from online fraud.
He said the state government must take a proactive role in safeguarding its citizens against digital threats.
The sitting will resume tomorrow.
