Anak wants top Umno veterans at 'Orange Rally'

Several prominent figures instrumental in the development of the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda), including Umno leaders, are to be invited to the Association of Felda Children's (Anak) July14 'Orange Rally' to oppose the public listing of Felda Global Ventures Holdings (FGV) Bhd.

The most prominent among them that the PAS-linked NGO hopes to receive support from is former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is widely known as Pak Lah.

This was because, Anak president Mazlan Aliman said, Pak Lah after taking over as prime minister had aborted his predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad's plan to list Felda on Bursa Malaysia.

"In 2004, Abdullah cancelled plans for Felda's listing. We appreciate Abdullah's stance as head of government. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't know what would have happened to Felda," Mazlan said.

Among other individuals Anak plans to invite for the rally are former deputy prime minister Musa Hitam and former finance minister Razeleigh Hamzah, who Mazlan said had contributed to the development of Felda.

Invitation letters would be delivered by hand soon, personally to the respective individuals.

Other than that, he said, political activists such as Bersih co-chairperson A Samad Said and Thamrin Abdul Ghafar, son of former deputy prime minister Abdul Ghafar Baba, would also be invited.

Mazlan who is also a PAS central committee member, said more than 100 NGOs are expected to be involved in the rally, including Gerakan Mansuh ISA (GMI), anti-PPSMI, Bersih and the Anti-Lynas groups.

The rally, which aims to gather 20,000 participants, will be held at the Federal Territories Mosque on Jalan Duta, from where the gathering will march to Istana Negara to present a memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to seek his intervention to stop the listing.