Five activists were arrested and another two injured when authorities attempted to evict a squatter community from a piece of land they have been occupying for over 50 years at an estate near Ipoh today.

R Mohanarani, an activist with Alaigal — an NGO for estate and urban pioneer communities — said the five were arrested while trying to stop the eviction at the Stratshila Estate in Jelapang, Ipoh by the Perak state economic development corporation.

Those arrested included four co-ordinators from Alaigal and one from an Ipoh farmers' coalition. An elderly man and a woman were injured while trying to stop a bulldozer from breaking a main pipeline supplying water to the squatter community occupying the land.

Mohanarani said the land, previously part of a Golden Hope estate, was still occupied by some 50 estate workers who had been laid off since 1999.

They have not vacated the land as no satisfactory alternative housing agreement had been reached with the Perak SEDC, she said, adding the residents had asked for compensation of RM1,000 per year of work from the corporation instead of the RM500 per year payment offered.

Forced entry

Mohanarani claimed the Perak SEDC's action this morning, aided by police an a light strike force, was 'an illegal encroachment of the area' as the issue is due to be heard before the Ipoh High Court in May.

"If the court grants them the right to evict we will comply, but we urge the Perak SEDC to let the court make its verdict," she said.

Pro-tem Parti Sosialis Malaysia central committee member Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj also called on the state government to ensure that the residents of Stratshila estate are adequately compensated.

"The state government should hold a high standard of fairness as the outcome here could affect all future cases involving estate residents in land acquired by private companies," said Jeyakumar in a statement today.

Police, meanwhile, have not charged those detained with any offences and have said they will be released later today from the Jelapang police station.

Residents at the estate said they will lodge a police report on the forced entry into the land.