300 settlers in NS protest FGVH listing plan

More than 300 Felda settlers from the Palong 4, 5 and 6 settlements in Negri Sembilan held a protest last night against the proposed listing of Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGVH).

The Felda Palong 4, 5 and 6 settlers put their signatures on a long cloth banner, which also carried words describing their frustrations, like ‘Umno-BN penipu’, ‘Felda penipu’, ‘Umno-BN died and RIP’, ‘Hidup Keadilan’ and ‘Lawan tetap lawan’.

This was a side event during PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s (right in photo) visit to Felda Palong 6 last night.

She also launched a campaign to gather 100,000 signatures by the party’s Felda and Orang Asal bureau protesting the proposed listing of FGVH.

The bureau has planned a big gathering in Kuala Lumpur on March 29, before another rally in Putrajaya the following day, to protest the proposed listing of FGVH that has been slated for May 10.

“We have applied to the Kelab Sultan Sulaiman management and are still waiting for their approval. We will stitch and join together the banners bearing the signatures on that day.

“Then, on March 30, we will hold a major rally in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya,” the bureau’s chief, Suhaimi Said (left), said at the event.
 
“The Felda settlers will march from the Putrajaya mosque on that day, while the banners bearing 100,000 signatures of Felda settlers against the listing will be unveiled.”

Suhaimi also explained the consequences of the listing of FGVH to the crowd of several hundred.

“We are not protesting the actual listing. I don’t mind supporting the listing of FGVH but don’t drag Felda Plantations, Felda Holdings and Koperasi Permodalan Felda (KPF) into the matter.

“The rights and interest of the Felda settlers are at stake by dragging these three entities into the public listing of the FGVH,” said the long-time settler activist.

“FGVH doesn’t have any financial strength, except for the 20,000-acre plantation land in Indonesia.”

The controversy over the proposed listing of FGVH reached a new height yesterday when KPF cancelled its extraordinary general meeting (EGM) scheduled for today following a court injunctionbarring it from discussing the listing of FGVH.

The PKR campaign kicked off in Felda Kerteh, Kemaman, on Feb 11 and there are plans to hold roadshows in other settlements in Pahang, Johor, Selangor and Perak to get the settlers’ endorsement.

Besides PKR, the PAS-led NGO Anak plans to ask the members of KPF to call an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to oppose the listing.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has defended the proposed listing, saying that he would not betray Felda, which was founded by his late father Abdul Razak Hussein.