KUALA LUMPUR: A group of smallholders and Felda settlers protested outside the Parliament building today, accusing the primary industries ministry under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government of failing to safeguard their interests.
About 200 members of NGOs representing smallholders and settlers said the government should come up with short- and long-term plans to mitigate the issues facing the palm oil industry.
They also demanded that the government set a price floor for commodities such as rubber and palm oil.
The NGOs included Jawatankuasa Pembela Kebajikan Peneroka Dan Pekebun Kecil Pemuda Umno Malaysia (Pembela), Pertubuhan Kebajikan Warga Felda Malaysia (PKWFM) and Pertubuhan Generasi Warisan Kebangsaan (Generasi).
In their memorandum, received by primary industries ministry representative Ahmad Fazlan Shah and opposition leader Ismail Sabri Yaakob, they also urged the ministry to list immediate steps for crisis management in the event that India reduces or ceases palm oil imports from Malaysia.
They also demanded specific allocations to alleviate the burden of smallholders and settlers in the event that palm oil prices drop to the lowest level.
They called for palm replanting initiatives to be given back to smallholders through the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority and the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, and for the government to improve diplomatic ties between Malaysia and palm oil-importing countries.
Generasi president Nazara Muda said they also hoped the government would set price control mechanisms for rubber and palm oil.
“For rubber, we ask that the government decide (on a price floor),” he said.
“Likewise for palm oil, but if possible palm oil must be set on average just under RM600 or RM550.”
He said PH had yet to implement the promises made in a proposed white paper despite being in government for 18 months, and questioned Putrajaya’s commitment to maintaining commodity prices and ensuring the interest of settlers.
Nazara said the NGOs would carry out similar campaigns and demonstrations throughout the country, especially during the Tanjung Piai by-election campaign, to push PH to fulfil its manifesto pledge to take care of the 750,000 smallholders and settlers in the country.
He also said they were willing to have a dialogue and to share their views with the government on the matter.
Smallholder Abdul Rahman Sharip said he hoped that having a price floor for rubber and higher prices of palm oil would help ease the cost of sending his four children to school.
Rahman, 64, said he could not presently afford to support his children.
“Before this, a tonne (of palm oil) was RM800. Now it is only RM200. What is the problem? Is PH doing work? Is the minister doing work?”
He said the price of sugar had already risen to RM2.80 a kg.
“Meanwhile, rubber is only RM2 a kg. I really cannot bear the costs.” - FMT
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