Najib pressed to explain binning of FELDA top officials

By Clara Chooi

March 15, 2012

Orders to put the KPF duo into cold storage came directly from Najib, Mahfuz asserts. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak has been urged to explain orders he allegedly gave for the removal of two senior officials from Koperasi Permodalan FELDA (KPF), purportedly over their opposition to the proposed listing of FELDA Global Ventures Berhad (FGVH).

According to news reports here, former KPF secretary Abidin Abdul Rahman was demoted to “cut (out) paper articles on FELDA” in the library of the Prime Minister’s Department from March 1, just months after the co-operative’s former chairman, Datuk Dzulkifli Abdul Wahab, was compelled to go on a nine-month study leave.

A KPF member along with PAS MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar told The Malaysian Insider that the sudden removal of both men from their KPF posts had stemmed from a directive issued by the prime minister himself.

“I was told it was the PM’s orders... so of course we cannot demand a reason. But there must be a story behind it because Abidin has been in FELDA for more than 30 years; why was he suddenly moved to JPM (PM’s Department)?” the KPF member, speaking on condition of anonymity, asked.

“We want the PM to explain his orders... why did he remove them?” said Mahfuz, who is also PAS vice-president.

He noted that as Abidin was already in the JUSA B grade, a senior level in the civil service wage system, it was unusual that his duties were reduced to merely “cutting paper”.

Both Mahfuz and the KPF member also voiced suspicion that the duo’s removal could be traced back to their resistance towards Tan Sri Isa Samad’s appointment as the co-operative’s new chairman.

According to Mahfuz, the two men had enforced provisions in KPF’s constitution stipulating that positions in the co-operative may only be held by existing members.

To be a KPF member, Mahfuz explained, an individual must either be a FELDA settler or operations staff.

“So they have enforced this condition, making it hard for Isa, as the FELDA Group chairman to take over the FELDA co-operative,” he asserted.

“He (ISA) wants to be the KPF chairman to help with the FGVH listing.”

Eight FELDA settlers last month won a temporary court order blocking the transfer of shares from KPF to FGVH, a crucial step in the plan to list the plantation firm.

But despite this, Isa had said in a statement last month that FGVH’s listing would go ahead as planned with or without KPF’s participation.