Felda bans Anak from coming into settler areas before polls

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Ahmad Maslan, who is also in-charge of Felda affairs, has confirmed that PAS-linked NGO Anak is allowed to enter Felda territory only during the election campaign period.

He said the ban on Anak from entering areas managed by Felda comes under the Land (Group Settlement Areas) Act 1960.

“During the campaign period, all can go in to campaign. For instance, during the Tenang (state constituency) by-election, we did not prohibit them from campaigning in Felda areas,” he said during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

However, Ahmad (right) claimed that Anak has been attempting to enter Felda areas before the polls with issues that could split the Felda communities, and hence Felda management has the power to stop the NGO.

Ahmad was responding to Anak’s attempt to obtain a court declaration to lift the restrictions on Pakatan Rakyat ceramah in Felda areas.

Anak lawyer Mohd Harris Abdullah had earlier said that they want court to declare that the ban enforced under the Land (Group Settlement Areas) Act is null and void, as it goes against the federal constitution which guarantees freedom of movement.

The ban was stated in a letter dated Jan 11 sent by Felda Jengka management to a PAS branch chief.

It said the Felda authority and the settlers consultative committee have decided “not to allow any ceramah or provocation involving politics to be held in the area of Felda Jengka 12 before the dissolution of Parliament”.

Last month, Anak’s efforts to enter several Felda areas to publicise issues on alleged irregularities and abuses within the federal agency had received strong objections from local BN supporters, causing violent clashes and injuries.

Ahmad also took a swipe at Anak president Mazlan Aliman, who is also a PAS leader, accusing him of always making baseless allegations against Felda.

“This Mazlan Aliman (left) is a serial slanderer. There are serial rapists, serial murderers and serial sodomisers, but this Mazlan Aliman is a serial slanderer.

“Before this he defamed us by saying that 12 percent of Felda Global Ventures (FGV) shares are owned by Genting. That is not true.

“Then recently he defamed us by claiming that Bunge Pte Ltd, a Jewish company, has links with Felda. That is not true. We have filed a suit against him,” he said.