Pakatan states 'won't sign land deals with FGV'

Three Pakatan Rakyat-held states - Kedah, Selangor and Kelantan - have pledged they would not sign any land deal which gives ownership of the land in their state to proposed listed company Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV).

Mazlan Aliman (left), the chairperson of Anak, the PAS-linked NGO fighting for the rights of Felda settlers, revealed that this is the stand taken by the Pakatan-held states which see the deal as one-sided and does not benefit the settlers and Felda Holdings Bhd, better known as the Federal Land Development Authority.

“As far as I know no states have signed any agreement agreeing to the transfer of ownership of the land to FGV, including Pahang, which has the largest land area under the Felda scheme in the country, with land covering 143,000 ha.

“Although I understand Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaacob had given the green light that he is willing to sign it, he has not done so, as with all the other states. I have managed to gain an assurance from the three Pakatan-held states that they would not give in to FGV,” he said.

Mazlan said this is the stand taken by the PAS central committee and it has been adopted in all three states, including as he understood, Selangor, which is agreeable to this.

“Land matters are still under the purview of the state government as they have the authority to transfer the land,” said Mazlan in a press conference today.

Penang, which is under Pakatan rule, does not have any Felda scheme in the state.

[More to follow]