Pahang: The Pahang government has dismissed allegations from the Save Musang King Alliance (Samka) regarding the unlawful cutting of approximately 200 Musang King durian trees in Sungai Klau, Raub. The government maintains that no court order was violated during the operation.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, state legal adviser Datuk Seri Saiful Edris Zainuddin stated that the land where the trees were felled was illegally occupied and not protected by any court directive. He explained, “The allegation that the state government acted against a court ruling is false. The Kuantan High Court had already dismissed the farmers’ judicial review application regarding the eviction order on April 24, 2024.” He further added that the Court of Appeal had rejected the farmers’ application for a stay of the eviction order on July 19, 2024, due to procedural errors by the applicants.
Saiful Edris elaborated on the Court of Appeal’s decision, explaining that the farmers should have initially sought a stay at the High Court under Section 43 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964. Instead, they directly approached the Court of Appeal, resulting in the denial of their request. He emphasized that the land is state-owned, granting the government the authority to take action against illegal occupants.
He asserted, “Those who encroach on state land without permission have no legal rights. The state government is within its rights to act and is also prepared to face any legal challenge in court.”
Previously, a news portal had reported claims from a group of durian farmers accusing the Pahang government of unlawfully cutting down their trees. On April 24, 2024, the High Court rejected a judicial review application by 186 Musang King farmers in Raub against the Pahang government’s eviction notices. Subsequently, on May 28, 2024, the Court of Appeal dismissed their application to return to the orchards to maintain the durian trees pending their appeal. On July 19, the court rejected another application by the farmers seeking to alter the ruling that barred them from accessing the farms.