Pomelo growers happy to receive land titles and have their debts waived
AS WE welcome 2012 into our midst, it is a good opportunity for Perak folk to reflect on events and issues that have shaped 2011.
People from all walks of life received cheer and happiness throughout 2011 with squatters receiving their long-awaited land titles.
The Tambun pomelo farmers have also rejoiced after receiving titles to land, which their families had laboured on for generations.
Jubilant: The Ipoh pomelo growers receiving their land titles.
A total of 55 pomelo farmers and 15 families from the Batu 5 area received 99-year leasehold titles.
Their debts of up to thousands of ringgits, racked up from penalties for illegally occupying government land, was waived by the state.
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek had also announced that the application for land titles, involving some 430 farmers in Kampar was in its final stages.
The news brings hope to the farmers, who have been toiling on their lands for several decades.
Others were also not left out as the state 2012 budget tabled by Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir in November provided them with similar goodies.
A total of RM18mil was allocated to eradicate poverty in the state, of which, RM5mil would be used in a Food Aid Programme to benefit 5,000 poor families in the state.
An allocation of RM4mil was also allocated to increase the capital for the existing Micro Credit Programme, which had been proven effective in empowering the less fortunate.
Collectibles: A model showing the gold dinar (right) and silver dirham with the state emblem
The needy were also included in the budget. They will continue to receive aid to allow them to purchase essential items to celebrate their respective festivals through the Festive Cash Aid Programme through an RM1mil allocation.
The year 2011 also saw Perak introducing its very own gold dinar with a 99.9% (fine gold) purity or 24k gold, and silver dirham in February. It was the second state to do so after Kelantan.
Minted by Kuala Kangsar based company, Mariwasa Kraftangan Sdn Bhd, the move provides the public with opportunities to diversify their investments into precious metals and protect their savings against inflation.
The face of the dinar and dirham is printed with the Perak state emblem while the back is similar to the one issued by the fifth caliph of the Umayyah period, Khalifa Abdul Malik ibn Marwan, in the year 75 Hijrah.
Famous archaeological site, Bukit Bunuh in Lenggong Valley, where the Perak Man was discovered, continue to receive widespread attention and in February, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) submitted a proposal to Unesco to list the valley as a world archaeological heritage site.
Bukit Bunuh was inhabited from time to time for more than 1.83 million years, making it the oldest prehistoric settlement in the world after Africa, according to chronometric dating.
Unesco is expected to make an official announcement on the declaration at its general meeting in July 2012.
Hundreds also exchanged vows on the auspicious 11.11.11 date, while parents received their bundles of joy enthusiastically. The date only appears once in a thousand years.
-The STAR-
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