He defended the action taken by the state government as being based on the provisions allowed under the law.

“The farmers involved should also be law-abiding citizens by vacating government land that they have occupied illegally all this while. The state government hopes to get cooperation from the parties involved.

“The state government has also reiterated its stance that it will not compromise on the issue of land cultivated illegally by the farmers involved,” he said in a statement here.

According to Wan Rosdy, the state government has postponed enforcing the eviction notice against the farmers involved until the application of 111 of them for judicial review of the government’s notice to them is heard by the High Court here on Oct 28.

On Aug 28, Kuantan High Court Judge Zainal Azman Ab Aziz allowed the farmers’ application to obtain a temporary suspension of the eviction notice issued by the Raub District and Land Office and the Pahang Forestry Department.

The application was made after the state government began taking action in early August against farmers who allegedly illegally cultivated durian plantations around Raub, as the illegal plantations had allegedly caused losses to the state government as well as caused water pollution issues.