Thursday, December 29, 2011

Group wants Ku Li's help in anti-Felda listing lobby



A non-governmental organisation representing the children of Felda settlers (Anak), hopes to rope former finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah into the fight against the listing of Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV) next month.

NONEAnak president Mazlan Aliman said he would be meeting Tengku Razaleigh (left) at a private location this afternoon.

Mazlan, who is also PAS central committee member, said the Kelantan prince, who was also one of the founding members of Felda along with then-prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein, had reservations about the move.

“I met Tengku Razaleigh last year, and he was opposed to the idea of Felda building its new headquarters on private land in a prime city spot in Kuala Lumpur.

“He (Tengku Razaleigh) asked for today’s meeting and we will meet to exchange views and ideas over the latest move taken by the present Prime Minister, Najib Abdul Razak, to list Felda Global Ventures,” he said.

He hopes that Tengku Razaleigh and others, including Perkasa, will support its cause in opposing the proposed listing.

NONEMazlan (centre in photo) told this to reporters after meeting with 11 other NGOs to form the Save Felda Movement (Gerakan Selamatkan Felda) today.

Felda or the Federal Land Development Authority is known as the largest land development authority for settlers planting rubber and oil palm in the country.

It is also Umno’s and  the BN’s vote bank as Felda settlements are located  in the rural heartland of the Malays.

The latest move sees the proposed listing of Felda Global Ventures, a lesser known subsidiary, after taking over the assets of Koperasi Permodalan Felda Bhd.
This is viewed as undermining the rights of the settlers and opening the ownership of their land to investors, including foreigners, following the listing exercise.

This, Mazlan claims, would further undermine the original intent of the setting up of Felda, which is to help poor rural Malays.

Mazlan said the NGOs have also written to the International Cooperative Alliance, the world body governing the cooperative movement, to look into this government move, and also the proposed appointment of Felda chairperson Isa Samad as FGV chairperson.

“We have also brought up this issue to Angkasa (the National Cooperatives Body) to complain about the illegal move.”

Calling for Isa’s removal

In a strong statement against Isa, Mazlan slammed the former Negri Sembilan menteri besar’s appointment as the cooperative chairperson. Isa will also spearhead the listing exercise of Felda Global Ventures.

“Isa is not a member of the cooperative, he is neither a staff member nor a settler. His appointment by the prime minister is by contract.

“Hence, his appointment as the cooperative’s chairperson is illegal,” he said.

Mazlan and the coalition of GSF also called for Isa’s removal as Felda chairperson and Sabri Ahmad as chief executive officer of Felda Global Ventures.

“Their appointments, within less than a year, have caused turmoil in Felda’s assets and we call for their removal.

“Isa was found guilty of money politics during the Umno elections and his appointment is questionable. Furthermore, Felda Global Ventures registered losses of RM500 million in its foreign ventures,” he said.

[More to follow]

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