Squatter Disputes

1. Disputes pertaining to estate boundary are divided into two categories:
• On-land
• Former workers (staying in estate quarters)
2. Disputes involving former workers (1. ii) is to be dealt with by Employee Relations (ER).
3. For on-land disputes (1. i), the Land Management Department is responsible for gathering information such as the size of land involved, the duration of the matter (how long it has been going on) and other relevant information or documents to support the case.
4. All information and evidence will be presented to Sime Darby Plantation’s management for further direction.
5. Actions will normally be in the form of negotiation or legal proceedings or both.
6. Proposed resolutions in the negotiation process include, among others:
• Vacating of the disputed area by the encroaching parties
• Payment of compensation to the encroaching parties
• Resettlement of the encroaching parties to other sites proposed by the estate management (in this case, the encroaching parties will need to pay a land premium as per the market value)
• The company will allow the encroaching parties to pay a token sum for the land and bear all the administrative costs in a gesture of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
• Acquisition of the land by the government.
7. Initial negotiation process with the encroaching parties will involve the respective estate management and representatives of the zones (Zone Heads). Further negotiation process may involve independent third parties such as representatives of the Land Office or Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs).

    Squatter Disputes Flowchart (245KB)