GOMBAK, Dec 11 — The National Association of Settlers (Anak) will stage a protest next month if Datuk Seri Najib Razak does not call off orders for Felda director-general Datuk Dzulkifli Abdul Wahab to go on leave.
The Malaysian Insider reported that the prime minister issued a letter on Friday directing Felda director-general Datuk Dzulkifli Abdul Wahab to go on eight months’ leave due to clashes with Felda chief Tan Sri Isa Samad.
Anak chairman Mazlan Aliman said today he will send a memorandum to Najib on December 20, urging him to cancel the Felda listing process and retract the order over Dzulkifli.
“We see this as an effort to rid Datuk Dzulkifli from Felda. Therefore we want Datuk Seri Najib to return the post and retract the directive.
“If no action is taken, we will stage a large assembly as seen previously,” Mazlan said, in reference to the Bersih 2.0 rally for electoral reform.
Under the government’s proposal to list Felda Global Ventures (FGV), settlers will swap their 51 per cent stake in Felda Holdings — which made RM760 million last year — for a 61 per cent share in FGV, whose international subsidiaries have reportedly lost RM500 million up to 2010.
Several blogs had reported last month that Dzulkifli sacked Isa from the KPF to prevent the Bagan Pinang assemblyman from taking charge of the co-operative as the Felda general manager is against the move to list FGV in the middle of next year.
The settlers’ co-operative owns the majority stake in Felda Holdings that manages Felda’s 880,000-hectare plantation landbank across the country.
The National Felda Settlers’ Children’s Association (Anak) lodged a complaint with the Co-operatives Commission of Malaysia (CCM) in October over Isa’s appointment as KPF chief.
The appointment of Isa as KPF chairman is being challenged on the grounds that the former Umno vice-president is a “contract worker” and not a member of the co-operative whose membership is limited to settlers and permanent Felda staff.
“We want to show our support for Datuk Dzulkifli, we don’t want Felda senior officers dealing with problems like these,” Mazlan added today.
When contacted, both Isa and Dzulkifli declined to comment on the matter.
Dzulkifli, who was deputy director-general before his promotion, has served Felda for 30 years.
The profitable Felda Holdings has a workforce of some 19,000 employees, with a labour force of 46,795 workers at 300 estates, 70 palm oil mills, seven refineries, four kernel crushing plants, 13 rubber factories, manufacturing plants and several logistic and bulking installations spread throughout Malaysia and several locations overseas.
the history of protests and demonstrations in Malaysia did not succeed anything but put the situation worst. i may say that the time has come for ANAK, BAPAK, BANGKIT and GWGF and other relevant NGOs to coordinate the DOs and DONTs in battleing Felda issues. Bak kata Melayu, bersatu kita teguh... bercerai??? ask yourself dude.
ReplyDeletesettlers unsettled before listing. nevertheless after the listing, settlers will get shares and everything. no more hysterical. life back to normal and settlers live happily ever after.....
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