Analyst dismisses Felda Gen Y anti-BN ‘tsunami’

KUANTAN: The various initiatives for Felda settlers particularly the younger generation (Gen Y) outlined in the Barisan Nasional (BN) manifesto for the 14th General Election (GE14) are a timely move, according to analysts.

The pledges in the manifesto can be used as an effective weapon to counter propaganda fabricated by certain parties which are seen as trying to influence Felda settlers to switch support for BN.

Political observer Wan Emril Nizam Embong dismissed the ‘wave of rejection’ against BN in GE14 among young voters at Felda settlements which have always been the stronghold of BN, as hearsay.

“It is hearsay; we urge the second generation and youths to consider rationally; the government does look after their welfare especially in terms of housing issues.

”That’s why the BN government’s manifesto focuses on providing opportunities for them (new generation of Felda settlers) to engage in digital economics and entrepreneurship, training and skills,” Wan Emril, who is also Pahang Youth Council chairman, told Bernama here yesterday.

The Kolej Universiti Islam Pahang, Shariah and Law Department senior lecturer said the government had never failed to look after the welfare of Felda settlers, yet there would still be those who succumbed to the opposition’s ploy especially the younger generation who were more exposed to social media.

Current issues analyst Datuk Ahmad Faris Abdul Halim said there was a change in the voting pattern of Felda settlers based on BN’s performance in the 13th general election.

Citing as an example, the Bera parliamentary constituency which has 56,600 voters of whom 41 per cent or about 23,300 are Felda settlers, he said BN only managed to win with a majority of 2,143 votes.

For the Raub parliamentary seat which BN lost to DAP in the last general election with 2,814 votes, Ahmad Faris said there were 57,000 voters in the constituency of whom 7,300 were Felda settlers.

He said the latest electoral roll for GE14 showed that a total of 570,000 voters were Felda settlers with five parliamentary seats having the highest number, namely Jempol, Kuala Krau, Rompin, Kota Tinggi and Pengerang.

Another political analyst Md Shukri Shuib opined that there would be a difference of voting pattern between new Felda voters who were residing outside and within their respective land settlement schemes.

”Those who are more exposed to information from social media will have a different pattern of thinking (from those who are not exposed to social media),” said Universiti Utara Malaysia Political Affairs, Policy and International Studies senior lecturer.

Despite the issues raised by the analysts, Felda chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad recently expressed his confidence that over 90 percent of its 112,000 settlers at more than 320 settlements nationwide still strongly supported the BN government despite the opposition’s many attempts to change their minds.

In the last general election, BN won 48 out of 54 parliamentary and 81 out of 92 state constituencies that have Felda settlers. - Bernama