RESTRUCTURING Felda settlers’ loans and reviving an abandoned housing scheme are part of Pakatan Harapan’s plan to fix the troubled land development agency if it is voted into federal power.

The plan, which was briefly revealed at a ceramah last night, is a major part of the opposition coalition’s bid to win over this crucial bloc of voters, which has traditionally come out in full support of the ruling Barisan Nasional alliance, in the next general election.

PH leader Mazlan Aliman urged settlers not to be swayed by handouts from BN.

“If BN gives you RM5,000, please consider whether this is enough for the next five years. How many months can RM5,000 last you?” Mazlan asked the crowd at the ‘Malam Semarak Kasih Felda’ ceramah in Jengka, Pahang, last night.

The administration of Prime Minister Naijb Razak, Mazlan claimed, had mismanaged Felda and impaired its ability to provide a sustainable income for settlers.

“In the past, Felda Plantations (a subsidiary of Felda) could generate RM1 billion in revenue for Felda. It provided 80% of Felda’s revenue so that it did not have to rely on the government,” said Mazlan.

“But then FGV (Felda Global Ventures Holdings) came into being under Najib to replace Felda Plantations. And suddenly Felda lost this revenue stream,” said Mazlan, who is the son of a Felda settler from Johor.

The ceramah by PH is the coalition’s latest attempt to get the Felda vote before the 14th general election is called.

Felda settlements in the nationwide land development scheme are spread throughout 54 parliamentary seats. There are about 112,000 families with a population of close to one million people living in Felda settlements.

Settlers have complained about problems in repaying debts owed to Felda for replanting their smallholdings and the inconsistent payments for their harvests.

Mazlan said over 530 units of homes for second-generation settlers in Johor had also yet to be completed, despite work starting three years ago.

Both the opposition and BN have promised to offer a way out of the settler’s debts and housing problems, in their bid to win over this crucial voting bloc.

The Najib administration announced a package of six incentives last July to sooth the brewing dissatisfaction among Felda settlers, who are estimated to number about one million people.

The package includes a special RM5,000 bonus that should have been paid by the end of August for 94,956 families totalling RM474.78 million and various schemes to write off settlers’ debts.

There is also a debt write-off of RM5,000 for each settler who opts to replant with Felda. About RM519 million have been earmarked for this scheme.

A RM300 million grant has been provided to write-off loans that settlers took to replant their holdings.

Mazlan however, questioned whether the Najib administration would be able to deliver on their promises given its bad track record in Felda and FGV.

FGV, Najib’s brainchild, is slowly emerging from a board room power struggle. Its former chairman and Najib ally, Isa Samad, is under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

After being released from remand last month, Isa, however, has not been charged. – September 20, 2017.