Same story one more time
Why is it that the state authorities cannot put an end to this recurring problem, once and for all?
CAMERON Highlands has a land encroachment problem and it refuses to go away. This was confirmed on Tuesday by no less than Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Deputy Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Azam Baki. On Nov 15, 2015, an official involved in investigating the root causes of the environmental problems caused by land encroachment told the New Straits Times that land the size of some 8.4 million Bukit Jalil stadiums was lost to illegal farming by Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL) holders. It will soon be three years since that alarming revelation was made and we can only imagine how many more Bukit Jalil stadiums were lost to illegal farming. The air of apathy that is afloat over the highlands must be put an end to if we want to save Camerons.
There are three things that the state authorities must do to get rid of the recurring land encroachment problem, once and for all. First, the authorities must be ready, willing and able to bring about a New Cameron Highlands. Old habits must give way to new ways of doing things. The old ways are not only not working, but are killing the highlands hectare by hectare. Statistics made available to the media in 2014 showed that the 2,000 to 2,500ha allocated for agriculture under the 2003-2015 Cameron Highlands Local Plan had grown to 8,600ha. How this four-fold illegal growth was allowed to happen remains a mystery. Absent earnestness on the part of the state government, it will be the same story one more time. Once this apathy point is crossed, the second thing the authorities must do is to uncover what is ailing the highlands. To do this, a complete audit of the highlands administration must be undertaken. This audit team must be staffed by men of integrity, and no holds should be barred to them. They must be allowed to do their job without fear or favour. The audit findings must be able to answer, among other things: how did the land devoted to agriculture grow four times that allowed by the 2003-2015 Cameron Highlands Local Plan? Who were behind it? Who issued the TOL? And under what circumstances? People involved in the abuse of power and malpractices must be punished so that others in future will be deterred. Duress must not be a defence.
Uncovering the ailment is not enough if we do not want the disease to linger. A cure must be found and preventive measures put in place. This then is the third thing the state must do. The governance system in place now is obviously faulty and want of speedy repair. Better yet, a complete replacement of men and mechanisms will be the best way forward. It will be nothing less than foolish to keep doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. Cameron Highlands is in dire need of a rehabilitation plan. It has lost an area beyond the size of Putra Jaya to land encroachment, according to one estimate. If we continue to adopt an apathetic attitude, whatever is left of the 77,100ha of Cameron Highlands will disappear slowly but surely.
If we continue to adopt an apathetic attitude, whatever is left of the 77,100ha of Cameron Highlands will disappear slowly but surely.