Don’t fall for Opposition’s gimmicks, Felda settlers told

KOTA TINGGI - Felda settlers should not fall for the political gimmicks of the Opposition but instead continue to support the ruling government that has a long-term plan for them, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said the Opposition had no interest in developing Felda settlements but only had its own interest in mind.

“In the past, we have helped upgrade the physical aspects relating to Felda settlers including providing them with funds for houses, land and education.

“In the next 50 years, we will continue to improve and focus on advancing the mindset of Felda settlers to ensure that they are on par with other members of society,” he said at a national-level Rahmat Ramadan celebration at Masjid Al Faizin at Felda Air Tawar 2 here yesterday.

He added that the main reason why the Malacca Sultanate fell to the Portuguese was because the people were not loyal to the ruling government and did not take the effort to advance themselves.

Najib said that being complacent was not a solution and the settlers needed to always work on improving themselves.

Najib said the settlers should not only strive to achieve success in the country but aim to make a name in the international arena.

He also announced that the Government had allocated RM42mil in duit raya for Felda settlers nationwide and an additional RM15mil for mosques and religious schools in the country.

In his earlier speech in Felda Tunggal, Penggerang, Najib said Felda would need to be defended as it was the powerhouse for Barisan Nasional, Umno and ultimately the government administration of Putrajaya.

He said Felda represented about 114,000 families nationwide and it was important to maintain political stability in the country and to showcase Malaysia’s leadership to other countries.

“Felda’s success is a special and unique thing that we all should be proud of,” he said.

- The Star