ARMED TROOPS INTO SETTLEMENT AREA; POLICE OFFICER CALLING ON THE PEOPLE TO EVACUATE; SETTLERS OUT OF HUNTS; HAJI YAHAYA ARRESTED; DEMOLISHING HUTS; DESTROYING VEGETABLE GARDEN; SETTLERS WAITING FOR TRANSPORT.




Initials JSU/VS/MR/MR



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: ARMED MALAYSIAN TROOPS EARLY YESTERDAY (THURSDAY) RAIDED AN ILLEGAL SQUATTERS SETTLEMENT IN A JUNGLE CLEARING AT TELOK GONG, 14 MILES (22 KMS) FROM KUALA LUMPUR.

THE SETTLEMENT HOUSES 530 MALAYS, AND IS SPREAD OUT ON 1,000 ACRES OF STATE LAND WHICH THEY HAVE CLEARED.

THE ILLEGAL SETTLERS ARE ALL FOLLOWERS OF SELF-STYLED LEADER HAMID TUAH, A FARMER WHO HAS SEVEN CHILDREN.

THE SWOOP FOLLOWED THE RE-ARREST OF HAMID TUAH IN A PRE-DAWN RAID ON HIS HOUSE YESTERDAY AFTER HE AND HIS FOLLOWERS HAD DEFIED THE ORDER OF THE SELANGOR CHIEF MINISTER, DATO HARUN BIN HAJI IDRIS, TO LEAVE THE SETTLEMENT BY WEDNESDAY (11 OCT).

HAJI YAHAYA BIN ZAINUDDIN, DEPUTY TO HAMID TUAH, WAS ARRESTED AND TAKEN TO A PEOPLE STATION FOR QUESTIONING. TWO WEEKS AGO, HE SAID THE PEOPLE WOULD STAY ON "AND FACE THE MUSIC".

AFTER GETTING THE SETTLERS OUT OF THEIR HOMES, POLICE MOVED IN AND PULLED DOWN THE WOODEN HUTS. LARGE ACRES OF VEGETABLE GARDENS WERE ALSO DESTROYED.

HAMID TUAH WAS FIRST ARRESTED IN OCTOBER 1960 FOR A SIMILAR OFFENCE.

THE SELANGOR GOVERNMENT HAD EARLIER OFFERED HAMID TUAH 2,000 ACRES OF LAND IN ANOTHER AREA BUT URGED HIS FOLLOWERS TO MAKE APPLICATION S THROUGH THE PROPER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.