Malaysian social activist Abbe Hae recently visited a 7-acre plot of land reportedly being used by the Rohingya community.
In a Facebook post, the founder of Pertubuhan Jejak Jalanan said he and his team visited the site on 16 October, where they noticed white boundary tape belonging to the Machang District Council surrounding the plantation.
7-Acre plot of land reportedly used by Rohingya community for betel leaf farming
According to Abbe, the tape suggested that the Machang District Council had sealed off the plantation. However, he claimed that the Rohingya community was still harvesting and selling betel leaves.
In his post, Abbe also said the landowner should consider renting out the 7-acre plot to locals instead, as he believes they are capable of renting the land and running their own agricultural projects.
“It would be better for the owner to rent out this 7-acre plot of land to local residents rather than the Rohingya. I’m confident that locals can afford to rent the land and carry out agricultural projects.
“The 7-acre plot has been planted with betel leaves by the Rohingya. When I visited the site yesterday, on 16 October, I noticed white boundary tape belonging to the Machang District Council around the plantation, suggesting that the site had been sealed by the council,” he wrote.
Abbe also claimed that some residents in the area have grown concerned over the number of houses, including those on land reserved for KTM, being rented out to the Rohingya community.
He urged landowners who rent out their properties, as well as the village head, to be more considerate of the local residents’ concerns.
“Despite the council sealing off the plantation, the Rohingya are still harvesting and selling betel leaves as usual. So, what’s the point of sealing it off?”
“Our neighbours are like family, and they would be more willing to help us if anything happened, compared to the Rohingya. I appeal to the kind-hearted owners of these houses and land to reconsider this matter for the sake of a better future for all of us,” he said.
Abbe Hae and others detained following viral issue
Following the incident, Kelantan Police Chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat confirmed that police had opened two investigation papers under Sections 341 and 268 of the Penal Code, as well as Section 395 of the same code.
Police have arrested two local men to assist in investigations into a robbery involving an individual from the Rohingya community under Section 395 of the Penal Code, with further investigations ongoing.
Meanwhile in a separate post, Abbe claimed that he and 15 others were detained on 17 October after being summoned to give their statements at the Kota Bharu District Police Headquarters (IPD Kota Bharu).
“Me and 15 others spent the night in a police lockup. Those also detained included Datuk Mizan from ISejahtera Malaysia and Tengku Harith from Pasir Puteh Funeral Management,” he said.
Abbe added that he and the other activists were released at noon on 18 October.
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