‘Lies tarnish Felda’s name’

KUALA LUMPUR: There have been attempts by certain quarters to tarnish Felda’s good name by deliberately spreading lies on social media.

Felda chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad said some of the news that were being circulated on social media were untrue and baseless, and only marred Felda’s reputation.

“For example, there is an allegation that each settler has debt of RM100,000. That is not true,” he said in an interview on TV9’s Nasi Lemak Kopi O programme yesterday.

“With the general election around the corner, there will be attempts by certain quarters to tarnish Felda’s reputation.”

Shahrir said there was a need for second- and third-generation Felda settlers to engage with the public to correct the misconceptions about Felda.

“Many people think that the Felda community stick to their own kind. Because of this, people tend to form different opinions about the community which are often distorted from the truth. We must change such perception.

He said the “Ekspresi Felda Negaraku Malaysia” carnival, held in conjunction with the Felda Settlers Day this weekend, was hoped to foster closer ties between the community and public.

He also urged the second- and third-generation of Felda settlers to step out of their comfort zone.

“Why must we limit ourselves to just one community when our parents (the first generation of settlers) were brave enough to tame the jungles and survive the odds?

“As the second- and third-generation (settlers), they must aspire to be like their elders.”

On the carnival, Shahrir said: “The public is invited to attend the carnival as it would allow them to better understand Felda. There are many things that the public is not aware of.”