Mahathir said Operasi Gading, which was carried out from late 2014 to December last year, discovered that 5,580 acres of government land had been illegally cultivated.

Until now, 4,887 acres (88%) of the land had been recovered by the government, said Mahathir in a written reply to Shahidan Kassim (BN-Arau).

Mahathir also said action had been taken against the illegal land cultivators, and that 85 investigation papers had been opened and 71 cases were being investigated. He said of the 14 cases taken to court, 13 were convicted and one acquitted.

“In the latest operations from June to August 2018 at 11 locations of government land illegally cultivated, the enforcement officers destroyed the plants and permanent structures.

“Notices from December 2017 to September 2018 were also issued to 23 illegal government land cultivators,” he said.

He also said the latest Operasi Gading in February saw enforcement officers clearing four areas of vegetable plantation cultivated illegally.

He said in all a total of 390 operations were carried out under Operasi Gading in which enforcement officers checked 4,794 people and detained 1,962 illegal immigrants.