PEKAN: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has pledged to continue the legacy of his father, the late Tun Abdul Razak, who initiated comprehensive developments which affected all layers of society, especially the lower-income group and rural communities.
Najib said he constantly reminds himself to ensure that his father’s legacy, which led to inclusive developments, benefits entities such as the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) and Felda, which were initiated by Tun Abdul Razak during his time as the second prime minister.
“Felda remained close to his heart. He kept a model of the first Felda home in our house compound. Even when he was dying, he told to me look after Felda and reminded us all that the development of Felda in the rural areas was the basis of his struggle.
“As the next generation, it is our duty to continue his struggle. I want the work that he created to never fade away; it should shine brightly for all time.
“To this end, we have to plan additional programmes because the world is constantly changing, the world of the 1960s and 1970s is not the same as today’s. But even though the landscape has changed, the spirit of our struggle should not. It should remain to drive us ever forward,” he said while officiating the national-level Jimat Belanja Dapur (JBD) programme in Bandar Dara Chini, here.
Also present was FAMA chairman, Tan Sri Badruddin Amiruldin.
Najib, who is Pekan Member of Parliament, also hit out at the opposition’s declaration that it would cancel all agreements made with China should it win the 14th General Election. This declaration has sparked unease among settlers and oil palm smallholders.
“Maybe you had once asked on what does our relationship with the outsiden world, such as China, have to do with the daily lives of people, for example, in (Felda) Chini or Yan (Kedah). I would like to tell you that the world now is borderless and globalisation is happening very rapidly.
“One simple example is this. Felda settlers produce oil palm.. who buys the products? Surely it’s the 1.3 billion people in China and one million people in India, which then leads to higher prices. When the prices go up, you gain.
“Pay no mind to the opposition’s pledge to cancel all contracts with China. If they were to do so, China would not want to buy our oil palm and the prices would then go down. Under this present leadership, we enjoy a healthy relationship with China. When I make a decision, I think of how it will also affect the people in Felda Chini and Yan,” he said.
Najib said the people should continue supporting Barisan Nasional as it has major agendas, compared to the opposition, who count a particular ‘ripened’ individual, who used to helm the nation, as among their leaders.
“Let him ripen. I worked with him for a long time and I know what he is like. He has no desire to develop the rural areas, this can be seen from his track record.
“I have empowered Felda, benefited the padi farmers. MADA (Muda Agriculture Development Authority) recently received RM2.7 billion up to 2020... Tun Razak started this. Tan Sri Bad (Badruddin) said never before had padi farmers received RM200 a month, including other incentives.
“Recently, in Tanjung Dawai, Kedah, I handed over a home to a fisherman, known as Encik Nazri, who wept tears of joy as he did not expect to receive a twin-terrace home worth RM45,000.
“The six initiatives for Felda settlers have been announced. The one which was most well-received was the RM5,000 cash payout, channeled directly into their bank accounts. A special RM1,500 payment is also given to imams, bilals and the like,” he said.