LETTER | Food security is vital for nation’s wellbeing

LETTER | The Association for Welfare, Community and Dialogue (ACID) condemns the action of the authorities to evict farmers in Kanthan, Perak - who are growing various food crops serving the local market.

On Oct 24, six farmers were forcefully evicted and the impending destruction of farmland, including the cultivated crops.

This area comes under the Tambun constituency, of which Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is the MP.

According to reports, there had been an understanding between the Perak State Development Corporation (PKNP) and the farmers.

The farmers were willing to cooperate and move to a suitable alternative site, but this has not worked out. Instead, the farmers faced eviction under Section 425 of the National Land Code.

Malaysia currently suffers from high food inflation and a responsible state government would have searched for solutions to resolve issues related to land ownership with the objective of enhancing food security.

There are three elements of injustice that need to be highlighted in this issue.

Firstly, in 1989, 100 farmers in the Kanthan area applied for temporary licences in the Kinta Land Office.

They were refused, and this has a bearing on their identity as farmers in a land where its cultivation can be traced back to the World War II era, even before PKNP was established.

Secondly, since PKNP claims the land, the farmers should have been at least given an alternative land that is suitable for farming, which was not done.

Thirdly, the Perak state government has deliberately ignored the most basic aspects of fair governance in looking for a win-win solution that not only meets the development responsibilities of the state but also ensures food security by empowering farmers.

The mishandling of the crisis clearly shows that the previous and current Perak state government has a poor sense of justice and lacks depth in understanding issues such as food security.

One is also surprised by the conspicuous silence from reformasi-preaching PKR and the so-called socialist-rooted DAP in the state government whose deafening silence is for all to see.

They should have at least convinced the menteri besar to work on a win-win solution on this issue.

Therefore, ACID urges the Perak state government to restore some sense of justice in its governance and understand that food security is closely linked to the nation's security.

Writer is the secretary for Association for Welfare, Community and Dialogue.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.