CAMERON HIGHLANDS: The Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry will form a task force to tackle land intrusion, dangerous slopes and land related enforcement in Cameron Highlands and Lojing.
Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar said its scope was being drafted and would be tabled at the National Land Code Council meeting in April.
“The members of the task force will involve the Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry, Deputy Prime Minister’s Office as well as Pahang and Kelantan state governments,” he told a press conference after attending a briefing on the Lembah Bertam and Sungai Ringlet Flood Mitigation Plan, here, today.
“We want to see this issue holistically and to look at aspects of understanding how this programme works (highland agriculture), whether they have the approval and to ensure that they (farmers) are responsible.”
Dr Xavier said the task force would ensure that dangerous slope areas would not be explored, enhance enforcement by the state and ensure that temporary occupation permits were allowed for agriculture and development in the future.
He said the mastermind behind the land encroachment would face the music.
However, Dr Xavier admitted that there were constraints as land was a state matter.
“As such, the Federal Government is not only giving advice, but we want to have cooperation from the state government.”
He said the government was ready to “splurge” to ensure the sustainability of the tourist attraction.
