Seventeen farmers were hauled off by the police this afternoon when they attempted to prevent developers and the police from encroaching on the Bukit Tinggi plantation in Klang, Selangor.

According to a spokesperson from the Klang district police headquarters, 13 men and four women were being detained for questioning and could possibly be charged for trespassing.

Housing rights activist V Selvam, when contacted, said despite efforts by the farmers to stop the works, the fencing to a cattle and goat farm owned by them had been destroyed

"We will try to release them through police bail by tonight," Selvam said.

There were 30 policemen on duty comprising personnel from the Light Strike Force.

"They were also two women who were injured by an excavator as they tried to prevent it from coming into the plantation. The women fell to the ground when they were hit by it.

"The farmers, who are former workers of an oil palm plantation in that area, have lived there for 70 over years. Now they are being asked to leave," he said.

Negotiations failed

Selvam had also accused the police as well as the developer, Labur Bina, of working together to destroy the farm with the help of hired thugs.

"We will be lodging a police report against the police for corruption and abuse of power. The farmers have also before this lodged several police reports against the police for taking sides with the developer," he said.

The project was started early last year to develop Bukit Tinggi, a former oil palm plantation, into a township but negotiations between Labur Bina and the farmers failed to reach a conclusion.

"The developers wanted to offer RM250,000 in compensation to the farmers but they did not take up the offer because the developer did not have an alternative plan for them," Selvam said.

With their farms taken over by the new township, the farmers are concerned about their future livelihood.

Selvam added that he would not be surprised if their homes, located two kilometres away, would also be destroyed in the development.

Efforts to reach Labur Bina failed.