SETTLERS will not lose their land as suggested by a Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) study, said the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) today.

Felda said the study is inaccurate as it does not reflect the true situation with settlers and the researchers did not interpret the Land Acquisition Act 1960 and accompanying laws in totality.

“Felda settlers and the state governments also have a contractual relationship that was upheld in the Court of Appeal in 2014. The court said the Kemahang 1 & 2 settlers in Gua Musang had a contractual relationship.”

Felda, the settlers and the Land Office are working together on the issue of land inheritance, it said.

It added the parties are working together to ensure that the lands can be passed down without being sub-divided.

Felda today issued a statement following a report in Malay-language daily Berita Harian on how settlers risked losing their land because legal restrictions would not allow them to bequeath the land to the next generation.

The UiTM study, led by Prof Rohayu Abdul Majid, said only 40% of the 112,635 settlers are first generation.

Rohayu’s study said the Land (Group Settlement Areas) Act 1967 (GSA) do not allow any land transfers without the approval of Felda, adding that no approvals have been given to date.

Felda said the researchers should have referred to them to understand the issue before concluding its report.

“Their research only consists of 130 respondents from Felda Bukit Tangga, Kedah when there are 112, 636 settlers in Malaysia.

Felda said the report can cause polemics among the settlers and their descendants concerning the inheritance issue.

It added the report did not put in the context that the GSA is meant to develop group settlements by giving 10 to 15 acres of agriculture land to Malaysians.

The law further provides for 0.25 acres for settlers to build their homes.

“For the purposes of uniformity and convenience, all these houses are grouped together so the government can build roads, schools, clinics and business premises around them,” said Felda.

Felda said the law, however, does not allow for more than two owners for any particular scheme as it is not beneficial to further sub-divide the land. – May 19, 2019.