Felda Global listing doesn't involve settlers land: Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has given the assurance that the proposed listing of Felda Global Ventures Holdings (FGVH) on the main board of Bursa Malaysia will not at all involve land owned by Felda settlers.

He dismissed the allegations by certain quarters that the listing would result in the mortgage of land owned by the settlers.

"I reiterate that not even an inch of land owned by the settlers will be involved in the listing. It will only involve state government land allowed to be developed by the federal government as provided for under the Land (Group Settlement Areas) Act 1960 and hitherto managed by Felda Plantations," he said in his speech at the launch of a Felda carnival at Merdeka Square, here.

The text of his speech was read out by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who represented the prime minister at the event.

Najib said the listing would go ahead as planned because it was a move to strengthen Felda to face the real challenges of global business.

"We want to dominate in the downstream products sector. We do not want to be mere producers of crude palm oil.

"The time has come for Felda to express its true potential and the ensuing prosperity to be enjoyed by not only the Felda community but also all Malaysians," he said.

At the event, which carried the theme "Upholding National Transformation", the prime minister announced an allocation of RM7.535 million for various programmes to empower Felda youths.

Of the sum, RM1.585 million would be given as aid for the management and programmes of Felda youth associations, with each of the 317 associations to receive RM5,000.

Some RM50,000 would be given to each of 11 Felda youth councils to aid the management and programmes of state and regional Felda youth councils, RM20,000 to each of 20 public institutions of higher learning for the Felda Undergraduates Alliance (Persada), and RM1 million for the Persada community service in the country and abroad.

Some RM4 million would be allocated annually for the Felda Youth Council of Malaysia for it to undertake development programmes to achieve excellence in sports and culture, the economic sector and entrepreneurship, and spiritual and social well-being, as well as gated community in the Felda schemes.

Meanwhile, in BERA (Pahang), several Felda settlers expressed confidence in the proposed listing of FGVH.

They said the explanation given by the prime minister yesterday clearly indicated the benefit for the settlers.

"Certain quarters are trying to confuse the settlers. The opposition only knows how to politicise the issue," said Triang Felda settler Ahmad Wok, 62.

He said the opposition did not want the listing to happen for fear that it would erode the Felda settlers' support for them in the next general election.

Second-generation Felda settler Iskandar Zulkarnain Mohd Zaki, 44, said the move to list FGVH must be seen in a positive light, particularly in terms of the future of the settlers. -- BERNAMA

Felda Global listing doesn't involve settlers land: Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has given the assurance that the proposed listing of Felda Global Ventures Holdings (FGVH) on the main board of Bursa Malaysia will not at all involve land owned by Felda settlers.

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