Anwar launches manifesto for Felda settlers

Cracks are showing in Umno’s strongest fortress.

SEREMBAN: In a bid to strengthen Pakatan Rakyat’s influence among Felda settlers, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim this week launched an election manifesto tailored for them.

It is well known that Felda is Umno’s strongest fortress, and the fate of at least 40 parliamentary seats in the coming election will be determined by voters who live in the resettlement schemes.

Anwar’s presence at Felda Palong 6 on Monday night was much awaited by PKR and PAS leaders in Jempol because the Palong and Serting resettlement areas are where Umno is strongest in Negeri Sembilan.

More than 2,000 people went to hear Anwar speak despite a police road block at the main road leading to the venue of the ceramah. It was the largest attendance ever at any of the 16 resettlement schemes in Palong.

According to Jempol PKR vice chief Rebin Birham, past Pakatan Rakyat ceramahs in Felda Palong 6 could attract no more 200 people.

“By Felda Palong standards, a 200-strong crowd would already be a big achievement for Pakatan,” he said. “Umno has had a strong presence here for decades.

“Two years ago, we had to struggle to get 20 people to start a party branch. But this year, we have opened eight PKR branches in the Palong schemes. Felda Palong 6 is our strongest branch so far. There are 412 members, most of them children of settlers.”

Rebin said he believed Monday night’s crowd would have been twice as big if not for the televised football match between Malaysia and Indonesia in the Jakarta Southeast Asian Games.

Umno has always scored big election wins in Jempol, which is a parliamentary seat, and Palong, a state seat. But cracks have begun to appear since last year, with several legal suits brought by settlers against the Felda management.

Because local PKR and PAS leaders have been helping the settlers with these court cases, many former Umno supporters are beginning to warm up to the opposition parties.

At Monday’s function, Anwar spoke on a wide range of issues, from those of national concern to those plaguing Felda settlers.

The Felda-specific Pakatan manifesto promises the following:

• The dismantling of Felda Plantations Sdn Bhd, which is increasingly being seen as so profit-motivated as to ignore the welfare of settlers

• Intakes of new settlers

• A housing scheme for second and third generation settlers

• An end to the manipulation of palm oil grading at the expense of settlers

• The clearing of settlers’ debts to Felda

Incentives to settlers who reseed their plantations independently