BN appoints Isa in fight for Felda votes

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 27 — Former Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Tan Sri Isa Samad has been appointed Felda chairman, in a move that could help Barisan Nasional (BN) hold on to the votes of more than 100,000 settlers.

His appointment to replace Tan Sri Yusof Noor takes effect next year, according to national news agency Bernama.

The appointment of Isa, a popular Umno grassroots leader, appears to be a BN move to counter a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) campaign seizing on growing disenchantment and disaffection among rural Malays in the Federal Land Development Authority's plantations and settlements.

PR parties have taken advantage of rising unhappiness in Felda settlements and have been campaigning since 2008 to rally settlers, traditionally BN voters, to the side of the federal opposition.

PAS has formed a group called Anak to campaign in Felda settlements, while PKR has its own Felda bureau to provide legal assistance to settlers.

In response the federal government recently formed a complaints bureau called Bapak to allow settlers to air their grievances to the authorities.

Felda came under attack last July when the government admitted the authority's cash reserves plunged from RM4.08 billion in 2004 to RM1.35 billion in 2009.

Felda currently administers about 480 settlements nationwide with 112,635 settlers.

The largely Malay settlers backed BN in the last general election, resulting in PR’s defeat in rural, Malay-majority constituencies where most settlements are located.

Felda has also been fighting a host of legal suits from settlers with ties to opposition leaders.

Last September, the Kuantan High Court ordered Felda to pay ten settlers RM1,700 each for every acre and ruled they were also entitled to conduct replanting without going through Felda.

Settlers from Felda schemes in Negri Sembilan, the state once led by Isa for 22 years, have also initiated legal action against the authority.

In August, 766 settlers from Serting and Raja Alias land schemes in Negri Sembilan sued Felda and one of its subsidiaries, claiming fraud and breach of trust to the tune of RM200mil.

Isa’s new role is a boost for BN’s campaign in the Felda settlements, as his victory in the Bagan Pinang by-election last year was seen as the beginning of the ruling coalition’s rejuvenation process after its worst electoral performance in Election 2008.

His popularity in Umno peaked in 2004 when he won the second highest votes to secure one of the three vice-president slots.

Isa was suspended a year later from the party over allegation of vote buying but made a political comeback after the death of Bagan Pinang assemblyman Azman Mohammad Noor.

Isa retained the seat for Umno with an increase majority from 2,333 votes to 5,435 votes.