Golden years: The Felda that was

VOXPOP 'Felda's funds built up during the time of RM Alias has all been squandered over the past five to six years.'

A non-Malay Felda settler's success story

Maplesyrup: With hard work, R Thangam and his family got themselves out of the web of poverty.

It is hard work, not the New Economic Policy (NEP) or handouts. Only if all Malaysians regardless of race and culture understand this. I dare say that those who oppose the two-party system do so out of fear that the gravy train will derail.

Sad to say that these people do not realise that they need to learn to fish so as not to go hungry anymore. Depending on handouts from BN will only fill their stomach for a while, but they will have to keep begging for more.

Democrat 53: Mr Thangam, well done to both your father and yourself. The Mahathir racism reared its ugly head after a few years into my first job in a Felda company. I endured it for nine years and left quite bitter in 1990.

This was the Dr Mahathir Mohamad era when he was trying to prove that he is more Malay than Indian - or rather a ‘constitutional Malay' - many of them wreaking havoc with the help of Perkasa and Umno.

As for then Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Isa Samad, his appointment to head the agency was the worst decision ever, and would result in the total failure of Felda.

Felda's funds built up during the time of RM Alias has all been squandered over the past five to six years since PM Najib Razak and his cronies took control of the agency.

Today it needs an IPO (initial public offering) to save itself with injection of external funds. They are rushing though the listing as there will be disaster otherwise.

Even RM Alias could not control the racial profiling as Indians and Chinese in very senior positions were bypassed for promotions for top jobs in the Felda Corporation with a few exceptions, but up to the deputy level only.

Swipenter: It is true that starting from the 1980s the process of marginalising and alienating the non-Malays from public institutions and schemes began in earnest.

After more than three decades of brainwashing, the result is entrenched, institutionalised racism and religious bigotry.
Now the non-Malays are seen as ‘pendatangs' and not Malaysians by the Malay chauvinists. Yes, it coincided with Mahathir assuming the post of PM.

Today, national unity is a myth but racial and religious polarisation is a fact of life. It wasn't like this even in the 1970s.

There is still hope for the country if we stand united and vote Anything But Umno-BN (ABU) in GE13. - Malaysiakini