What do Felda's kingmakers want?

FOCUS | A battle is raging in Felda settlements nationwide as politicians vie for crucial Malay heartland support ahead of the next general election.

Getting Felda votes could be the key to the opposition wresting Putrajaya from BN.

But Felda settlements have traditionally been BN strongholds, and in the 52 Parliament seats that have Felda voting districts, 46 - or almost 90 percent - are held by the ruling coalition.

Established in 1956, the Federal Land Development Authority was the brainchild of then deputy prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein, and was meant to uplift the Malays economically.

Now, 61 years later, some still feel indebted to Razak, and by extension, to his son and current Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"If people remember history, Razak really helped put the Malays up. And now Najib is giving 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M), and has spent billions of ringgit on it," Felda settler Awang Hussin Abdul Manah told Malaysiakini.

Awang Hussin was one of several settlers the portal met in a visit to Felda Jengka in Pahang recently.

While the 53-year-old is a staunch supporter of the government, some others feel no reason to support Najib, despite his father's contributions.

"A son is a son, but the son is not the father," Azmi Abdul Wahab said.

For Azmi, who is also a PAS member and the brother of former Malacca PAS commissioner Sofi Abdul Wahab, one issue that weighs on his mind is late payments for their harvested oil palm fruits.

He said payments used to be made twice a month, but now it is done once a month, and even then, the payment sometimes is late.

Such bread and butter issues are affecting most Felda settlers Malaysiakini met with.

For them, this is a more pressing concern than scandals such as the 1MDB fiasco.

‘BR1M doesn't help’

Most of the settlers we met with said they are feeling the pinch from the rising cost of living as well as the goods and services tax (GST).

Government aid, such as the BR1M, do little to alleviate their burdens, they said.

"BR1M doesn't help at all. You only get it once, but how many times do the fuel prices go up?" 26-year-old Mohd Kamisan Marjugi said.

Second generation Felda settlers such as Shahruddin Borhan have to contend with the additional problem of housing.

"It is difficult for us to get land and housing... We are squatting on our own land," the 41-year-old said.

Pahang state executive councillor Shahaniza Shamsuddin warned Umno during its annual assembly last year that the ruling party risks losing Felda votes if the government does not address the woes of the settlers.

Other issues that may affect Felda votes include the plummeting price of the Felda Global Ventures (FGV) shares.

Another issue is the RM4.3 billion of FGV funds, which Felda chairperson Shahrir Samad at one point questioned where the money had gone.

However, Shahrir later denied the money was untraceable.

The main opposition pact of Pakatan Harapan and its ally, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), are trying to capitalise on these issues by bringing in big names such as former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad on a roadshow in Felda settlements.

However, despite the many issues that plague Felda, political analyst Ahmad Atory Hussain believes that BN will likely be able to quell the concerns among Felda voters by the time GE14 comes around, and thus maintain its strongholds.

"I believe these Felda issues will be settled before the election. The government might also announce aid for settlers to help ease their difficulties," Atory said.- Mkini