Change the Perak MB - Who has no time for farmers? Even when Najib ask him?

 “We are not big companies, only small-time farmers. All we ask for is a dialogue and we have come 10 times. Why is he ignoring us?”

Perak MB no time to meet with farmers(from Bidor, Sungkai, Tapah, Ipoh, Batu Gajah and Sungai Siput)...and finally people lose patience and have a peaceful gathering in front of MB's office - the Perak MB could have come out and met the farmers...or maybe even have a short meeting with representatives of the farmers for maybe 15-30 minutes... or maybe even fix a definite date to meet and talk to them and help resolve their problems...but alas, he did not ...; and finally after hours of waiting the police gave the people '3 minutes to disperse' and arrested people...

From the news reports, the following could be seen:-

a) These farmers send the Perak MB about 8 Memorandums - but no reply from the Perak MB..

b)  PM Najib has called on the Perak MB to meet the farmers and resolve the issue... still not done.

“Why will the Menteri Besar not see us, even after the Prime Minister’s Office sent him a letter asking to do so?” 

Najib had in a letter dated April 21 instructed Zambry to meet them.

c)   Perak Menteri Besar fixed a meeting on 15th December 2014 - but the day before the MB cancelled this meeting -- and apparently did not fix another date for the meeting

"A date was fixed for December 15 last year, but the Menteri Besar's office called to cancel it a day before the appointment.

d)   Last month, the farmers were told that the Perak MB will get back to them with possibly a 'meeting date' - but have been silent till now..

e)  The farmers, came and gathered in front of the MB's office asking to see the MB - and they were made to wait until about 2.30pm. This delay from the MB shows how caring a MB he is. Could he not sent a rep (or come down personally at maybe 10.30am? Could he (or his resp) come and and fix a DEFINITE date and time to meet with the farmers - it would have been so easy to get a time and date suitable for them(since the farmers from the different areas were already there...) - an agenda of the meeting could also have set... 

'...the farmers had gathered as early as 9.30am outside the menteri besar's office but was finally informed at 2.30pm that Zambry would not meet them.He added that Zambry's press secretary told the group to provide their contact details and an appointment would be fixed for next week...'

f) Then the police gave them 'three minutes to disperse' and many were arrested.

Come on - you are the Menteri Besar > and really the people are your 'Bosses' -  Be humble and at the very least take the time to meet the farmers...and with them find a just solution

There are not many who are willing to get their hands dirty and be farmers - so, really Malaysia must be promoting local farmers... more and more. It is sad that the Perak government is looking to evict farmers from '...a total of 24 areas with a size of over 10,000 acres...' - Why? Is it for more houses and buildings, or to be given to some bigger plantations? Surely, the land could maybe be leased out to these farmers...Malaysia really must be moving to be self-sufficient with regards to food ... and, as such farmers really need to be encouraged >>> and evicting them from lands where they have been farming is certainly not the way...

Once, many years ago I happened to be in the building that housed the Kelantan Menteri Besar's office, whereby Tuan Guru Nik Aziz was the then MB. A poor man walked in and asked to see the MB. The MB then was in a meeting with some well-dressed foreign personalities. What was interesting was that a few minutes later, Nik Aziz walked out of the meeting aloneand came up to this poor man who he escorted to a couple of sits and they spoke for a few minutes before the MB then said goodbye and returned to his meeting -  The humility, concern and care that Tuan Guru Nik Aziz demonstrated for ordinary simple man is the kind of behaviour we expect of our Menteri Besars, Prime Ministers, elected(or appointed)  representatives and public servants - people matter and 'leaders' should not forget that they are there to serve people. But alas, nowadays some people just forget these basic principles - Ego sets in and they behave that they are 'too great' - no time to even humbly meet ordinary people who take the trouble to come see them...

Perak Menteri Besar's behavior in this case was really bad - look also the comments he made to the media. Where are the humbly caring leaders that all Malaysians desire? 

Perak MB unfazed by farmers’ protest

BY ISTA KYRA SHANMUGAM

Published: 5 August 2015 6:07 PM

Some 200 farmers gathered to protest outside Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir’s office since 10am this morning. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Wong Tuck Keong, August 5, 2015. 

 

Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir today brushed off the actions of some 200 farmers protesting outside his office as common antics that he would not entertain.

"They are trying to portray as if the state government has done nothing for farmers.

"This is not the way, I will not work this way," he said after chairing the weekly state executive councillor's meeting in Ipoh today.

Zambry was asked to comment on the crowd gathered at the back entrance of the state secretariat, which houses the menteri besar's office, since 10am this morning. "How many times have they demonstrated here? 

 

What do you expect me to do?
 

"I will not respond to threats," he said.

He added it was common knowledge that the state government had done work to help farmers, and there were figures to back him up.

"We do help, our figures show how much we have helped them, we are prepared to release the figures," he said.

Zambry however, declined to comment whether he would agree to meet with the farmers on their issues of eviction by the state government.

He also refused to confirm the farmers' account that a letter was issued by the Prime Minister's Office, asking for the menteri besar to engage with the farmers, ending the press conference by saying, "They can say whatever. They even went to Putrajaya to demonstrate at the Ministry of Agriculture's office."

Minutes after Zambry's press conference, some 39 activists and farmers were detained by police for unlawful assembly under Section 143 of the penal code.

Among those arrested were PSM leaders, secretary general, S. Arutchelvan, Sungai Siput MP Dr. D. Michael Jeyakumar, deputy chairman, M. Saraswathy and farmers group coordinator, K. Kunasekaran.
 

The leaders had turned up to support the Gabungan Selamatkan Petani dan Penternak Perak (Group to Save Farmers and Breeders in Perak), comprising farmers from 24 locations across the state, who were facing eviction from the state government.
 

Earlier, Kunasekaran said the group were prepared to stay until 4pm, to obtain a formal letter to meet with Zambry, after their numerous attempts were cancelled and ignored.
 

"A date was fixed for December 15 last year, but the Menteri Besar's office called to cancel it a day before the appointment.
 

"Last month, we were told he would get back to us but we never heard from him since." said Kunasekaran. – August 5, 2015, Malaysian Insider.

 

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/perak-mb-unfazed-by-farmers-protest#sthash.R0RQ5VeM.dpuf

200 irate farmers protest Zambry cold shoulder

BY ISTA KYRA SHARMUGAM

Published: 5 August 2015 1:03 PM

Farmers, fed up of being ignored by the Menteri Besar, said they were prepared to protest throughout the day. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Wong Tuck Keong, August 5, 2015. 

 

At least 200 farmers from across Perak decided to set up shop outside the State Secretariat building today, in protest of being stone-walled by Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir. They claimed that they were fed up of being ignored, despite multiple requests to discuss their problems with him.
 

The farmers, who called themselves: Gabungan selamatkan petani dan penternak Perak (Group to save farmers and breeders in Perak) brought their crops – such as bananas, papayas and various vegetables – to be laid out on the pavement, as they stood together under umbrella stands, holding up protest banners and placards, and shouting for the Menteri Besar to “turun (come down)”.
 

Co-ordinator K. Kunasekaran said the group was prepared to brave the afternoon heat until 4pm today, just to get an appointment from the Menteri Besar’s office.

He said they had sent eight memorandums to the state government and Putrajaya, and only received a reply from the Prime Minister’s Office, stating that the Menteri Besar was expected to engage with them. 

 

“Why will the Menteri Besar not see us, even after the Prime Minister’s Office sent him a letter asking to do so?” Kunasekaran said through a loudspeaker to reporters.
 

“We are not moving until Zambry gives us a formal appointment date, it can be weeks, months from now, it doesn’t matter. But if he is not interested in seeing us, he should let us know and we will know how to act.”
 

He said it was disappointing that Zambry had failed to intervene in their issue, despite support shown by other leaders including Deputy Finance Minister and Tambun MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah.
 

He said Husni had written to help the pomelo farmers in Ampang, whose land was granted to a private company, although the farmers had been there for more than 40 years.
 

“Even former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohammad visited the farmers before and planted a seed there, but now the farmers are facing eviction,” he said.
 

Kunasekaran also denied that the farmers were against development, as detailed in a news report by a national daily.
 

“The farmers support development, but they want the Menteri Besar to listen to them and offer land replacement solutions.”
 

One of the farmers, Michael Fong, 56, said he was angry at the Menteri Besar’s continued silence.
 

“We are not big companies, only small-time farmers. All we ask for is a dialogue and we have come 10 times. Why is he ignoring us?” he said.
 

“If he is really not interested, then we are prepared to vote him out in the next general elections,” said Fong.
 

Former Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin was present to support the farmers. 

 

He said the state government should be friendly to the farmers, who had toiled on the land and provided food with their crops for more than 50 years.
 

“They are not asking much, just to be heard,” he said.
 

Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar, who was also at the scene, said Zambry was displaying arrogance by refusing to meet the farmers.
 

“This is an issue of trust. The state government must remember it is entrusted with land that belongs to the people, not the MB or any (political) party,” he said.
 

“Although the laws give power to the Menteri Besar to evict settlers, this is based on trusting that it will be carried out responsibly.
 

“It does not matter which political party is helming the government, they must understand this concept of trust,” he said.
 

As of 12.30pm, with no response from the Menteri Besar’s office nor any representative sent to meet the farmers, the group moved their vegetables and fruits from the pavement to the road, blocking the back entrance of the state secretariat building.
 

The group also chanted: “MB, MB turun jumpa petani, MB, MB jangan takut, turun sekarang! (MB Come down, meet farmers, don’t be scared!)”
 

Uniformed policemen on foot monitored the protesters, but remained in position across the road, just observing the group. – August 5, 2015, Malaysian Insider

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/citynews/ipoh/article/200-irate-farmers-protest-zambry-cold-shoulder/200-irate-farmers-protest-zambry-cold-shoulder#sthash.tbpwliol.dpuf

Aug 5, 2015

By Nigel Aw

MP, farmers arrested over 'eviction' protest

Police have arrested PSM lawmaker Dr Michael Jayakumar and scores of farmers as well as activists for protesting outside the Perak Menteri Besar office this afternoon.

The farmers, who are battling eviction, had gathered there in a last ditch effort to meet Perak Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir after failing to secure an appointment despite trying for almost four months.

Among those arrested were PSM secretary-general A Sivarajan, PSM deputy chairperson M Sarasvathy, central committee member S Arutchelvan and PSM Youth chief KS Bawani.

The over 300 angry demonstrators had brought an assortment of bananas, coconuts and vegetables and placed them outside the state secretariat building in protest of the menteri besar's refusal to meet them despite being instructed to do so by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

When contacted, the farmers' coalition coordinator K Segar confirmed the mass arrests, adding that they were being taken to Sungai Senam police station in Ipoh.

Segar said the farmers had gathered as early as 9.30am outside the menteri besar's office but was finally informed at 2.30pm that Zambry would not meet them.

He added that Zambry's press secretary told the group to provide their contact details and an appointment would be fixed for next week.

Refused to budge

Segar pointed out that in the group's previous meeting with Najib's special officer, it was revealed that Najib had in a letter dated April 21 instructed Zambry to meet them.

"On June 17, we met the menteri besar's media officer to submit Najib's letter and the officer promised to convey it to the menteri besar but there was eventually no response," he said.

He added the group had submitted no less than eight memorandums to Zambry since 2014 asking that he intervene in land issues faced by farmers throughout Perak.

Segar said after being snubbed by the menteri besar today, they refused to budge and sat at the entrance of the state secretariat building prompting police to arrest them.

He said the protesters today were farmers from Bidor, Sungkai, Tapah, Ipoh, Batu Gajah and Sungai Siput who were facing various eviction issues in their areas.

He added that a total of 24 areas with a size of over 10,000 acres was affected.- Malaysiakini

August 5, 2015 MYT 9:34:32 PM

Jeyakumar, several PSM leaders arrested in Ipoh over land protest

by manjit kaur

The farmers were arrested after failing to disperse following instructions from police.

IPOH: Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, several other Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) leaders as well as a number of farmers were arrested after failing to disperse following instructions from police.

Among the other PSM leaders arrested outside the state secretariat building here were party secretary-general S. Arutchelvan, national deputy chairman M. Saras and party coordinator K. Kunasekaran.

A large number of farmers under the Save Perak Breeders and Farmers Affiliation had gathered outside the building from about 10am on Wednesday in the hopes of meeting Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir to help resolve long-standing land issues.

They sat on the roadside with their vegetables, fruits and fish, while holding placards.

At about 2pm, a police light strike force was forced to intervene when some of the farmers attempted to barge into the building to see Dr Zambry.

A representative from Dr Zambry’s office later told the protesters that the Mentri Besar was unable to meet the farmers but that the office would let them know on Aug 10 when a meeting could be arranged.

Police then gave those gathered outside three minutes to disperse.

Jeyakumar and a number of other protesters were arrested when they failed to adhere to the instructions. -
Star, 5/8/2015