Now, Felda taken to task over 60 year mortgage

Harakahdaily

Sep 29: The Federal Land Development Authority continues to be questioned, this time over a decision to mortgage all its 360,000 hectares of lands under Felda Plantation to Felda Global Ventures Holding Sdn Bhd for 60 years. Speculation is rife that the move was to counter Pakatan Rakyat’s promise to distribute Felda Plantation lands to the land authority’s second generation settlers. Chairman of the National Felda Settlers’ Children Association (ANAK) Mazlan Aliman in a press conference yesterday questioned whether there was political hands at work leading to the decision which was made last month in the absence of Felda director general Dzulkifli Abdul Wahab at its board meeting. According to Mazlan, Dzulkifli, who was away in Makkah, was not informed on the proposal, and the board agreed to the decision after requests from several committee members cum politicians. “What’s the right of the board of directors to take such decision? Is this meant that Felda Global Ventures will make huge loans using the land of Felda Plantation as mortgage?" asked Mazlan, and questioned whether the decision was pre-planned when Dzulkifli was absent. Mazlan said the decision shed light to deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Ahmad Maslan's strong objection to PR's move to distribute 360,000 hectares back to settlers. Mazlan also questioned the board's appointment of Felda chairman Isa Samad (right) to helm the land authority’s cooperative, Koperasi Permodalan Felda Berhad (KPF), on the pretext that Felda Global Ventures was restructuring. “Isa is neither a settler, an employee of Felda group, wife or settler's child, who is registered member of the cooperative. Is his appointment being done through the backdoor to allow KPF’s equity amounting to RM398.32 million, which is 51 percent of Felda Holding to be brought into FGVH? "Does this also mean that Isa will have the control of KPF assets worth RM1.17 billion and enable him to implement business policies without hindrance?” he asked. Mazlan described both Ahmad Maslan and Isa as traitors for meddling in the Felda director general's duties. “The Prime Minister cannot keep its silence on this,” he stressed.