Raub durian farmers seek to drop appeal over eviction case
The farmers' applied to initiate judicial review proceedings against the state government last year against its decision to lease 2,167ha of farm land to Royal Pahang Durian Resources. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA : A group of durian farmers in Raub are seeking to drop their appeal against a High Court ruling that dismissed their application for a judicial review of an eviction notice served on them by the Pahang government in 2020.
The legal firm representing the farmers said in a letter yesterday they had been instructed to withdraw the appeal, with no order as to costs.
The defendants, comprising the Pahang government, Royal Pahang Durian Resources PKPP Sdn Bhd, and several others, were given seven days to convey any objections.
The farmers' application for a judicial review was dismissed by the High Court judge last year. The farmers had filed the application after the state government decided to lease the 2,167ha of farm land to Royal Pahang Durian Resources.
Justice Radzi Harun also rejected an application to review the state's move to sublease the land with the mandatory requirement that durians farmed be sold to a single entity nominated by Royal Pahang Durian Resources.
Royal Pahang Durian Resources executive director Steven Mun confirmed receiving the letter, but said the farmers' application had yet to be filed in court.
'We hope the necessary filings will be made at the Court of Appeal shortly,' he told FMT.
He said the resolution of the dispute paves the way for a structured arrangement where farmers are granted a 30-year lease, with an option to renew for another 30 years subject to state approval.
He said under the terms offered to the farmers, Royal Pahang Durian Resources will purchase the durians from these farms 'thereby regulating the supply chain and ensuring that exports meet the certifications required by importing countries'.
Mun said importing countries were increasingly requiring that durian exports were certified and met the standards of the Malaysian Good Agricultural Practices scheme.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
an hour ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Decision to review 13MP not made in haste, says Fahmi
Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said the prime minister had asked all ministries to study the draft of the 13MP and submit their feedback to the economy ministry. (Bernama pic) KUALA LUMPUR : The government's decision to review the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) is not a hasty reaction, but one that has gone through a discussion process over the past two weeks, said communications minister Fahmi Fadzil. Fahmi said the discussions began with a draft presented by the economy ministry's secretary-general to the Cabinet. 'We've actually discussed this. I mentioned (previously) that the prime minister had issued a directive to review the draft presented by the economy ministry's secretary-general. 'Any policy, programme or decision must first be presented at a Cabinet meeting. So, on Friday last week (June 20), the prime minister requested all ministries to study the draft and submit their feedback to the economy ministry,' the government spokesman said at a press conference after launching the Nadi Aspirasi Nasional Bersama Anak Muda programme organised by the community communications department (J-Kom) here today. Following that, he said, a special Cabinet meeting was held last Monday to review the feedback from the ministries. 'During the meeting, it was found that many matters raised by the ministries needed to be considered by the economy ministry in drawing up the 13MP document. 'That was one of the reasons why, at last Wednesday's Cabinet meeting – the latest one – it was decided that finance minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan would take on the duties and functions of the economy minister,' he said. Former economy minister Rafizi Ramli was reported to have questioned the government's move to review the 13MP, calling it a hasty response to social media criticism. This followed chief secretary to the government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar's announcement yesterday that Amir had been tasked with 'reviewing and revamping' the 13MP, while concurrently performing the duties and functions of the economy minister, effective immediately. The 13MP is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament on July 31.
Free Malaysia Today
an hour ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Govt's revision of SST expansion proves it listens to rakyat, says Fahmi
The government announced yesterday that imported apples and oranges will be exempted from the expanded sales and service tax. (Envato Elements pic) KUALA LUMPUR : The government's decision to exempt certain imported fruits from the expansion of the sales and service tax (SST) is proof that it listens to the people, says unity government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil. 'Usually, the finance ministry does not change its position after it makes an announcement,' he said at an event in Pantai Dalam here today. Yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the government has decided to exempt imported apples and oranges from the expanded SST. He said the government acknowledged that many from among the poor and B40 income group would buy these imported fruits as they were affordable. The finance ministry previously said that the expansion of the SST from July 1, including a 5% rate on imported fruits, was strategically aimed at bolstering local agricultural demand and strengthening food security. Fahmi also hailed the Energy Commission's decision to lower electricity tariffs, saying this shows the government is genuine in implementing reforms that will benefit the public. On June 20, the commission said some 23.6 million domestic users in Peninsular Malaysia will enjoy fairer electricity rates, through the new tariff schedule approved by the government. Under the new tariff scheme from July 1 to the end of 2027, the base average tariff will be adjusted to 45.4 sen/kWh from the 45.62 sen/kWh which was approved in December 2024. The current base tariff of 39.95 sen/kWh was set from 2022 to 2024.
Free Malaysia Today
an hour ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Cut SST to 4% and postpone new tax to January, says Chinese chamber
The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia said rising costs, which have been felt in 2025, are expected to persist next year. KUALA LUMPUR : A business chamber has urged the government to cut the sales and service tax to 4%, provide higher thresholds and expanded exemptions, and postpone implementation of the expanded tax to January to allow businesses more time to prepare. The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia said in a statement that adequate preparation was crucial to ensure better compliance and smooth implementation, Bernama reported. The chamber called for: a lower tax rate of 4% in the first two years (2026–2027) to ease the burden on businesses and consumers; a higher registration threshold, from RM2 million to RM3 million, for service tax on leasing, rental and construction services; a higher tax exemption threshold, of RM2 million in annual sales instead of RM1 million announced on Thursday, for small and medium-sized enterprises. 'We also propose a longer exemption period of 36 months for non-reviewable and reviewable contracts, to cover all project types due to the nature of the projects and their cycles,' the chamber said. The expanded SST applies to additional services (wellness centres, financial, and healthcare) and three new services (rental or leasing, construction works, and education), and is due to begin on July 1. The chamber said in a statement that it 'cautiously welcomed' the government's review of the expanded SST announced on Thursday. However, the chamber said there were concerns over multiple cost increases coinciding with a challenging global and domestic economic environment, exacerbated by the uncertainty surrounding US trade tariff policies and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. 'The effects of rising costs, which have been felt in 2025, are expected to persist or influence the business and economic landscape in 2026,' it added.
