FELDA schemes lifted about 122,000 families – the equivalent of over 1 million people, out of poverty. It helped a generation of landless Malays become a rural middle-class, who typically held four hectares of land for oil palm or rubber cultivation.

Because of this, FELDA was considered one of the most successful land settlement organisations in the world. We must re-claim this.

Over the years, FELDA settlements entertained delegations from all corners of the world including African, Asian and Latin American countries. The governments of select African countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Congo, Gabon, Ivory Coast and Cameroon have been very proactive in supporting the plantation sector and are also believed to be the most eager on adopting the FELDA model for their own land resettlement or agricultural development agendas.

Besides that, executives from global development agencies like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have all applauded FELDA’s success. So much so, these organisations have been ever willing to fund FELDA development projects that benefit rural settlers.

However, FELDA is no longer the trusted and bankable agency for the peneroka. The recent white paper tabled in parliament opened all the secrets which led to FELDA’s fall from grace.

FELDA paid 96 percent more than the market value for the purchase of shares of Eagle High Plantation which is owned by Indonesian tycoon, Peter Sondakh. According to a police report made by FELDA, this one-sided deal came as a result of a direct order from then Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Najib Razak, who is good friends with Peter Sondakh. FELDA spent USD505 million (more than RM2.2 billion) to buy just a 37% equity.

This deal was initially rejected by FGV, from which Peter Sondakh wanted USD 630 million. FELDA transferred the full amount of USD505 million to Peter Sondakh in less than 90 days! We know now this was to help Najib’s friend Peter Sondakh, an Indonesian Chinese Christian, to pay off his bankers – who already extended his loan re-payment twice and was just about to declare him a bankrupt and take all his assets. He owes FELDA, but now does not want to pay back. Malu la bossmu!

In 2017, FELDA posted net losses of RM4.9 billion. FELDA’s debt skyrocketed 1,100 percent from RM1.2 billion in 2007 to RM14.4 billion in 2017. FELDA’s net cash position which stood at between RM1.8 billion and RM3.9 billion from 2007 to 2011, fell to RM400 million in 2017.

Now, in order to turn things around, the government has to pump in RM6.23 billion of our money in the form of grants, government guarantees and loans to revive FELDA. The decline of FGV and FIC under the current management team must be stopped. We cannot have Dato Wira Azhar – appointed by Najib from MRT Corp – to continue to lead FGV. He failed at MRT and now brought his team from there to FGV. That’s why FGV has not been able to contribute anything to FELDA – only more problems. Kick them out!

And the entire management at FIC – why are they still there?? Where are the police reports by Dato Wira Azhar and the PH government against those pencuri and pengkhianat??