Lee (seated centre) with Azmi on his right and other MAB and MAB Agriculture-Horticulture top brass after the press conference.18
MIRI: An amicable solution is in sight for the two beleaguered oil palm smallholders and a vegetable farmer squatting on land belonging to Malaysian Airport Berhad (MAB) here.
The MAB board will decide on a proposal for fair compensation to the smallholders and a three-year rental to the vegetable farmer under a win-win arrangement floated during a meeting attended by both parties at Miri Airport yesterday.
Assistant Minister of Communications Datuk Lee Kim Shin said he had good vibes on the resolution for the farmers following the fruitful discussion with MAB top guns led by its senior general manager (operations) Dato Azmi Murad.
“The proposals include MAB taking over the oil palm plantations with compensation and renting land to the vegetable farmer for up to three years,” he told a press conference yesterday.
The smallholders have invested RM0.4 million to plant 4,000 oil palms certified by Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) on 80 acres of land, and are issued with licence to transport and sell the fresh fruit bunches.
The MYGAP-certified vegetable farmer meanwhile has invested RM1.2 million on the 70-acre farm, earning recognition from the Ministry of Agriculture for good agricultural practices.
Meanwhile, the rate and amount of compensation would be determined by MAB after due diligence assessment of actual number of palms and other technicalities if the board agreed to the proposal.
Lee thanked the high-powered team which flew in from Kuala Lumpur for the meeting yesterday, saying it reflected responsiveness and sensibility of MAB in tackling the issues.
“The team will go to the ground to verify the number of palms and other technicalities which would be reported to the board for decision-making,” he said, adding that eviction from the land would be put on hold pending the board’s decision and agreement later.
MAB Agriculture-Horticulture Sdn Bhd (MAAH), which was incorporated in 1998, stated its intention to take back the land which is planted with oil palm and issued an eviction notice to two smallholders and a vegetable farmer who were found using its vacant land here.
The company has cultivated and managed 6,000 hectares of oil palm plantation in the country, and it is targeting another 1,000 hectares on lands around Bintulu, Miri and Limbang airports to maximise yields from its land bank.
MAB has wanted the two oil palm smallholders and a major vegetable producer to vacate its land around Miri Airport, on which 148 acres have been planted with crops as it wants to use it for its own oil palm plantation.
Eviction notice has been served on them late last month, telling them to evacuate within two weeks.
Lee, who was alerted by Miri Division Planters Association, has persuaded MAB to consider a win-win arrangement as it would be senseless to destroy the oil palms which were ready for harvesting.
Meanwhile, Azmi said MAB had forwarded to the Ministry of Transport the need for expansion and upgrading of Miri Airport under the 11th Malaysia Plan.