KOTA BARU: The High Court has set Oct 18 to hear a suit filed by a Musang King farming company against Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Kelantan (Jaringan) chairman Mustafa Along.
The date was set by judge Ahmad Bache after Mustafa’s counsel, A. Saha Deva, failed to turn up in court.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Zaidan Ali, said the judge was supposed to have heard objections against the suit today as the defendant had filed for an injunction which was granted by the court on Sept 19.
The company, M7 Plantation Sdn Bhd, had filed the suit as a group of Orang Asli, led by Mustafa, had blockaded the entrance to the farm in Gua Musang.
Zaidan said the court was informed that Saha Deva was overseas.
“Therefore, the judge proceeded with setting Oct 18 for trial,” he said.
Earlier, Mustafa had filed a claim at the Gua Musang magistrate’s court naming the state government, Forestry Department director-general Datuk Zahari Ibrahim, state Land and Mines Department director Datuk Zamri Ismail, M7 Plantation and another company, KPG Maju Enterprise Sdn Bhd as defendants.
The claim was filed after the Orang Asli had alleged that unrest would occur after the blockade was torn down.
The New Straits Times Press had reported that some 400 people from the Forestry Department, policemen, Land and Mines, Civil Defence Force and several other agencies had torn down the blockade at Pos Tohoi, Pos Bihai and Pos Pasik in Gua Musang on Sept 28.
A day later, however, some 300 Orang Asli were reported to have put up and defended the blockade again.