KUALA LUMPUR: Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) will launch this year Felda 2.0, a digital transformation that will see upgrading of 4G and WiFi infrastructure throughout settlers’ land.
The improved connectivity and higher speed of Internet access will facilitate higher productivity for businesses and the settler communities.
“We plan to launch Felda 2.0 towards the end of the year. This new initiative to upgrade Internet speed to 4G and WiFi connectivity, is based on feedback from the second and third generation of Felda settlers,” Felda chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad told reporters in a briefing, here, recently.
He said settlers children today are very familiar with online news, social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and blogs.
By the same token, Felda and its management must also adjust themselves to the new realities of communication in today’s world, Shahrir added.
Instead of waiting to receive complaints via official channels, he and his team have strengthened Felda’s Inspectorate Unit. “They respond and verify complaints by going down to the ground within 48 hours.”
The communications team is also tasked to announce facts and figures on Felda operations via official accounts of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and blogs.
“My team and I are accessible via WhatsApp. Since the start of the year, I was added into three WhatsApp group chats titled ‘Pahang MPs’, ‘Felda Generation Voice’ to ‘Settlers Welfare’.
“All of us must be involved so that the goal of contributing to the economic strength of Felda and the country can be achieved,” he said.
Felda was set up by Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, and has been led over the years by Tun Musa Hitam, Tan Sri Yusof Noor, Tan Sri Isa Samad and now, Shahrir.
From a political perspective, Felda settlers’ smallholdings are spread across 54 parliament seats and 92 assembly seats. United Malays National Organisation (Umno) has branches across all Felda settlements.
“The Opposition like to instigate and rile up dissatisfaction among planters but have they ever solved any problems Felda settlers faced? No. It is the Felda management and myself who are solving problems,” said Shahrir, who is also Johor Baru Umno division chief.
The Felda chairman went on to say the crux of the problems faced by settlers are low oil palm and rubber prices. “We understand what needs to be done to trade facilitation to drive global demand.”
He also said Felda management understands Felda settlers’ socio-economic welfare can be affected by hate campaigns towards palm oil on the Internet by activists.
“I see the key to raising the Happiness Index in the estates is to follow through (with) trade facilitations to drive palm oil and rubber pricing to higher and firmer levels,” he added.