PM: Felda’s success unparalleled
Top leadership’s commitment to agency a boon for rural community, says Najib
BERA: Felda (Federal Land and Development Authority) is a success story that no other country has been able to replicate, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He said since the land resettlement scheme was launched in 1956, many countries had sent delegations to Malaysia to study Felda’s achievements.
“But no one has been able to replicate Felda’s success. There are many factors behind the Felda success story.
“The most important one is the commitment shown by the top leadership, beginning with Tun Abdul Razak Hussein,” he said at the launch of the new model housing for the second generation of Felda settlers in Felda Kumai here yesterday.
Najib said this was unlike Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s actions towards Felda when he was prime minister.
“He wanted to privatise Felda. The Felda chairman at that time objected, so his plan did not go through.
“When he could not privatise Felda, he ‘froze’ it instead until there were no more additional settlements.
“That’s the difference between Tun Dr Mahathir and Tun Abdul Razak in their commitment to the rural community,” Najib said.
On the new model housing, he said the programme was created to ensure that the new generation of Felda settlers could own affordable homes.
Under the programme, Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd will build 5,000 houses nationwide on land lots identified by Felda.
Of that total, 3,000 of them will be in Pahang.
At a separate function in Kuala Krau, Temerloh, Najib announced a RM20mil special fund for the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority to help increase the income of smallholders through economic activities.
“Our efforts in rural development cannot be denied,” he said.
He also criticised the Opposition for not having a clear direction for the rural community in its general election manifesto.
On the general election date, Najib said he would attend a gathering with civil servants tomorrow before heading to Miri and then returning to Kuala Lumpur for the launch of Barisan Nasional’s manifesto on April 7.
“This means ‘Raya’ is very close, so you can all start lighting the oil lamps like they usually do in the rural areas to welcome Hari Raya,” he said.
At a separate function in Maran, Najib met with Felda settlers in the Jengka state constituency at Felda Jengka 11, Bandar Tun Abdul Razak.
He said only Barisan Nasional was able to provide a good future for the bumiputra and the rural community, including Felda settlers.
Najib also said the land scheme would benefit greatly under his administration such as the East Coast Rail Link project that would link the Klang Valley to the states in the east coast of the peninsula.