FELDA’S new chairman has gotten the thumbs up from settlers’ welfare groups for his willingness to take a clear-eyed look at problems besieging the Merdeka-era plantation scheme.

As such, the six groups – a critical voice for one million Felda settlers and their families – are willing to forego the new government’s 100-day pledge for the scheme, which is due next week.

Pakatan Harapan had promised that it would write off “unreasonable” debts owed by settlers to Felda if it won Putrajaya.

Mazlan Aliman, the groups’ spokesman, said they are willing to accept a delay in the fulfilling of the promise so long as there is a concrete plan on how to deal with Felda’s problems.

“That target is unlikely to be met, as we are already close to the 100-day mark.

“The new chairman, Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohamad Nor, has admitted that it will be difficult to fulfil the promise,” Mazlan told reporters after a meeting with Megat Zaharuddin at the Felda headquarters today.

“We understand how hard it is. The 100-day deadline is secondary. What we want to see is commitment and a plan of action or mechanism towards realising the goal.

“That, we can accept,” said Mazlan, who is president of Anak, a second-generation settlers’ group.

Anak is part of the six-body settlers’ umbrella group Council of Felda NGOs, which was formed after GE14 to serve as the voice of settlers.

The council had its first meeting with Megat Zaharuddin less than two weeks ago.

Megat Zaharuddin took over as the agency’s head following PH’s historic win on May 9. He replaces Shahrir Abdul Samad, who was closely linked to the ousted Barisan Nasional administration.

Today’s meeting was a first of sorts, as Anak and the other groups were never able to meet with Felda’s top management when BN was in power.

Mazlan said the council spent more than three hours briefing Megat Zaharuddin and his top officers on settlers’ problems.

“From what we can see, he is very committed to his plan to rebuild Felda. He listened to what we said, took his own notes and even asked us for extra details.”

Settlers’ problems range from the failure of an agency subsidiary to properly manage their oil palm holdings and the “mysterious” amount of debts they owed to the abandoned housing scheme for second-generation settlers.

Mazlan said the council urged the new chairman to complete at least 1,234 partially built homes by the end of the year.

The units are part of more than 8,000 homes, which are in a derelict state.

“We also told the chairman that he has to clean up Felda’s top management. Some of his top officers have been investigated for graft and abuse of power by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission,” said Mazlan.

He said these individuals are allegedly linked to Mohd Isa Abdul Samad, a former Felda chairman who has been investigated multiple times by MACC.

“If he doesn’t get rid of them, then his aim of rebuilding Felda will be jeopardised.” – August 9, 2018.