CAMERON HIGHLANDS, Nov 26 ― As you drive along the winding road that opens up to Cameron Highlands, a large signboard welcomes you with this warning: Beware the signs of landslide.

Over the years,  the evidence of erosion on the hill slopes and landslides ― the latest was on November 5 when five people died in a landslide and mud flood which hit Ringlet after water from a nearby river overflowed after heavy rain ― have become more and more visible.

The latest incident was the second major one at the highlands after the Bertam Valley floods on October 23 last year. This was because the Bertam River overflowed after water was released from the Sultan Abu Bakar Hydroelectric Dam.

Four died, while over 100 lost their homes in that incident.

Time and time again, both environment experts and locals have lamented that this repeat occurrence is the result of the uncontrolled growth in Cameron Highlands’ agricultural industry, as some of the farming practices are far from sustainable.

Road construction and tourism activities are the two key stimulants for increased farming on the highlands, apart from the growing demand locally and overseas.

To date, there are four entry and exit points into the highlands with the most common gateway being the Tapah entry point, followed by the Simpang Pulai one.

A third entrance is via Gua Musang in Kelantan which cuts through the Lojing Highlands and the newest entry point is from Kuala Lipis, Pahang.

These multiple entry and exit points ― in comparison, there was only one entry and exit dating back to the 1920s ― are another reason for soil erosion and landslides as they deprive Cameron Highlands of water catchment areas.

Last year, state news agency Bernama reported Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel saying in a written reply in Parliament that farmers who illegally cleared land had actually "seized" government land.

This, he said, despite the Pahang government approving temporary occupational licences (TOL) for 5,705.17 hectares identified for agriculture.

Utusan Malaysia reported that at present there are 7,528 hectares currently being used legally for agriculture.

It’s not our fault, farmers insist

Farmers in the area, however, rubbish claims that the soil erosion and landslide problems are caused by farming activities. At least, not their farming activities.

Lai Kok Keong, 46, said that farming is a business that has the complete approval of the authorities.

“I cannot judge whether having more farms is good or bad but the one who has the money and the means definitely reserves the right to do what he or she wants… it can’t be controlled,” he said.

“Problems such as soil erosion and landslides are the government’s concern… they should think about that when they approve the clearing of land for farming activities.”

However Lai who operates a one hectare farm which he inherited from his late father hopes that there would be some form of regulation with regards to the issue of approvals.

“They should not allow farming in forest reserves,” he said.

When asked if the green light was indeed given for the clearing of forest reserves, Lai said: “We know.”

Another farmer who only wished to be known as Chye, 35, agreed with Lai and said that farming in the highlands is not the problem.

“In fact, we farmers have a lot at stake ourselves. Farming in the highlands is found in many other countries,” Chye who grows vegetables said. What is lacking, he added, is enforcement against illegal farming.

Cameron Highlands’ farmers groups also agree that it is unfair to penalise and hurl accusations against licensed farmers who have been working the land for a long time.

Chinese Farmers Association head Chay Ee Mong said that currently there are 2,400 farmers in Cameron Highlands, but illegal farming is the one that’s causing all other licensed farmers to be labelled as irresponsible.

“Even the Land Office has acknowledged the problem,” Chay said, declining to comment further after describing the issue as being “too sensitive.”

Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman, Cameron Highlands Malay Farmers Association chairman, said that farmers registered under the associations are old timers who have been farming in the area since the 1980s and early 1990s.

He also argued that farming activities are big business because of the huge demand, pointing out Malaysia’s huge import of fruits and vegetables.

“We feel that all the illegal farms are the root cause of all these problems. We have raised this issue many times but nobody seems to care,” Syed said, adding that they were also informed by state officials that there is a lack of enforcement personnel to monitor the situation on the highlands.

“But it’s just funny because the illegal farms are usually just beside the roads,” he told the Malay Mail Online.

The place is not what it used to be anymore, say residents.

For the residents of Cameron Highlands, it is not illegal farming that is slowly “killing” the highlands but greed.

“This place is just filled with plantations and it’s causing us too much problems,” said G. Devi, 31.

Devi and her lorry cleaner husband were living with their six children in a community hall in Ringlet when we met them recently. They had to live there after their rented home was washed away in the recent floods.

The family together with two other families was still waiting for a temporary home more than eight days after the flood.

“It is just funny that more and more farms are being opened up but those who are affected by the aftermath of flash floods and soil erosions are just left hanging,” she said.

“This place is not what it was anymore… our cries for help are being drowned out because of sheer greed,” Devi said when met by the Malay Mail Online.

Octogenarian K. Ramasamy summed up the Cameron Highlands of before in just two words: first class.

“It was like heaven on earth... even the tea leaves back then had an invigorating aroma attached to them unlike now,” the 85-year-old recalled.

“Now it is being ravaged… it has become a business arena but at the expense of the people. The lower income group especially,” said the widow who is a traditional medicine practitioner.

Another resident, Chong Foo Heng, 42, said that residents in Ringlet predominantly are gripped by fear of floods and soil erosion.

“Every time it happens, lives are lost. There will be some hooha initially but it will be back to square one afterwards,” he added.

Like Devi and Ramasamy, Chong also sees over-development as the key reason for all the soil erosion.

He lives with his family in a small narrow neighbourhood in Bertam Valley, surrounded by hills busy with  farming activities.

“They say that there’s corruption, but I don’t want to talk about that. There are many lands here that cannot be developed actually.”

There’s still room for various development, says district council.

Despite the fear and the ongoing blame game, in addition to allegations of poor conservation policies, the Cameron Highlands District Council (MDCH) officials say that the highlands still has the potential for greater development.

MDCH secretary Mazlan Mohamed Isa said that the already balding highlands has another 40 per cent development capacity.

He said that currently the overall development that has already taken place makes up a mere 2.33 per cent.

“There’s still 30,118.32 hectares, based on our local district planning and only 18.5 per cent has been used for farming,” Mazlan said when met at his office here.

He, however, assured that all development programmes are in tandem with the Cameron Highlands Local Structure Plans, and that there is sustainability.

Mazlan said that the 38,771.68 hectares reserved forest land is also unexplored and is well guarded.

 “One must understand that lands here are segregated into two categories; forest reserve and government land.

“Forest reserve lands are absolutely off limits but government lands can still be bought and developed,” he added.

He said that what is actually happening in Cameron Highlands is only the “first-layer” development which “looks congested” to the concerned public.

“It may look too cramped for the people but this is all being done under a proper guideline which we have been following religiously.”

However, a research paper in the Universiti Malaya Students Repository, an online archive containing the research papers by UM undergraduates, cautions otherwise.

The paper states continuous land clearance for development and land use in the future in Cameron Highlands will result in high sediment yields to streams associated with soil disturbance caused by agricultural activities and road construction.

The research states that the proposed expansion of farming land to 6,000 hectares by the year 2020 in the 1996 Structure Plans will result in a huge setback, as this stands to expedite the soil erosion rate.

It further stated that this would also have adverse effects on the hydro station in the vicinity, leading to decline in generation output as a result of loss in water usage due to heavy sedimentation in the streams.

Mazlan said that after the local district development plan for the 20013- 2015 period expires, a fresh plan would be conceived for 2016.

“For this, I invite the public to state what they want in terms of development and we will tailor our plans according to that.

“If it’s only 20 per cent of development that they want, then 20 per cent it will be but we would have to consider the suggestions from other industry stakeholders as well.”

Mazlan said that the problem lies in drawing up a one-size-fits-all plan, which simply won’t do.

“There are some who are all for development while others support agricultural development. We promise to consider all these views. We can only give what the people want, but we have to take into concern the differing needs,” he added.