100 ‘High Chaparral’ cows, goats left homeless
By Athi Shankar
The remaining ranch could be demolished tomorrow.
According to an affected cowherd K Sivanandam, a group of Malay and Bangladesh gangsters ran riot and demolished his ranch about 11.30am, using an excavator and sledgehammers.
He named four trespassers -- Johan, Izad, Noordin and Helmi -- in his report lodged at Jelutong police station last night.
The four were allegedly part of the developer's demolition team that pulled down homes and erased the Indian traditional village in September last year.
Sivanandam claimed that the gangsters stormed into his ranch and wrecked it without even producing any notice of evacuation from the relevant authorities.
The frightened cows and goats fled all over the places as the demolition proceeded.
“When I asked who they are, they acted aggressively against me and said they the power to demolish my ranch.
“I was alone and could not fight back,” Sivanandam told reporters at the site today. He estimated his losses at RM30,000.
The demolition team belonging to Nusmetro Venture (P) Sdn Bhd was accompanied by several uniformed and plainclothes policemen.
According to police sources, they were merely acting on the “directive” of several higher-ups in the Pakatan Rakyat-led state government.
However, at a separate press conference, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was non-committal, claiming that he was unaware of the demolition.
He said the state government would not interfere and would leave it to Nusmetro Venture and the cowherds to resolve the dispute.
However, Lim’s statement indirectly confirmed that the developer had carried out the unauthorised demolition.
At another press conference, Penang Island Municipal Council president Patahiyah Ismail said the council had not issued any notice of evacuation to the ranches and its enforcement unit was not involved in the demolition.
Northeast district land office officials also confirmed it and re-affirmed that the cow ranches were sitting on state land and not the developer’s.
Kampung Buah Pala was once known as Penang Tamil High Chaparral for its population of cowherds, cattle, goats and other livestock, unique Indian cultural features and festivities.
The 200-year-old Indian traditional village was demolished last September by Nusmetro, while families were still in their homes, to pave the way for a posh condominium project called the Oasis.
Consumer Association of Penang officer NV Subarrow said the developer has no authority to demolish the cow ranch.
“The authorities must explain this injustice,” he said.
He said the state authorities should resolve the problem by identifying a suitable alternative site for the cowherds to breed their livestock.
“Their livelihood has been affected and the state authorities must help them,” said Subarrow.
MIC state Youth chief J Dhinagaran, who was at the scene, suggested that the demolition could be a form of retaliation by the state government to avenge Pakatan Rakyat's by-election defeat in Hulu Selangor.
He said the demolition and ill-treatment of the villagers by the state government featured prominently in Barisan Nasional campaign in the by-election.
Another cowherd R Subramanian, who rears some 200 cows and goats, said he was warned by the same team that 
his nearby ranch would be demolished tomorrow.
Sivanandam and Subramanian are now in a fix: they do not know where to relocate their livestock.
They said they had discussed with the land officers last month to find another site to relocate their livestock.
“We want an alternative site and the authorities should help us,” said Sivanandam..
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