Anwar: How did Isa find RM140m Felda money to spend, including on family trips?

Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad. -filepic

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants an explanation on how RM140mil was spent by former Felda chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad, including on overseas trips with his family members.

“Is it true that the former Felda and Felda Global Ventures Bhd (FGV) chairman and 53 companies under it received a windfall, income and allowances of more than RM2mil a year?

“I would also like to know whether the chairman of Felda and FGV under its office spent RM140mil for his own work purposes in 2014, which is unreasonable and illogical.

“I want an explanation on this matter,” said the Port Dickson lawmaker while debating the Felda White Paper.

“It is unfair that settlers have to pay off high debts. We agree that they have to settle their debts … but the debts were caused by unreasonable spending and all the revenue was taken by the management, who stayed in lavish offices.

“The office of the Felda and FGV chairman is apparently three or four times better than the Prime Minister’s office.

“I urge the Prime Minister personally visit the office himself – perhaps he can move his office there, which is far superior.

“The money is actually settlers’ money, and the settlers have to eventually pay for it.

“If it is true that they spent RM140mil for the chairman a year, bringing his family here and there, which is fully paid by Felda, why must the settlers pay for all this?” said Anwar, urging the government to explain how much debt settlers actually have to pay to Felda.

He also said that he was shocked to see Felda, which he described as “bleeding”, had bought more than 100 vehicles during the previous administration.

“If the media visits the Felda headquarters, (you’d see) it is packed with new cars.

“Perhaps it is from an old order, but this is the attitude of the previous management, which needs to be corrected.

“The settlers are facing hardship but new cars were still bought due to some desperate circumstances,” Anwar alleged.- Star