By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani July 16, 2010
Baharin claimed development in his Felda settlement slowed after Pakatan took over Selangor. — Pictures by Jack Ooi
HULU SELANGOR, July 16 — Three months after Pakatan Rakyat (PR) failed to retain the Hulu Selangor federal seat in a by-election, the Selangor state government has yet to gain the confidence of Felda settlers in the constituency.
The support for Barisan Nasional (BN) in Felda settlements of Sungai Tengi and Soeharto remains as strong as on April 25 when they returned P. Kamalanathan over PKR’s Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.
Most settlers feel that PR has done little to bring development to the settlement and stressed that Umno-led BN has always been present to ensure the welfare of the community.
Baharin Arshad told The Malaysian Insider that BN has continuously been at the forefront of the development in Felda.
“All this while, BN has helped tremendously in the development of Felda. From having nothing, now we have everything.
“But since Pakatan Rakyat has taken over Selangor, I do not see many projects carried out here. Back then, BN had many projects such as widening the roads, upgrading the drainage and buildings, but [the] PR government until now has not contributed anything substantial to the Felda community,” said the 68-year-old village leader from Sungai Tengi.
Settlers like Rasidi feel indebted to BN for their current wealth.
Felda settlements have long been considered BN strongholds, and PR has been mobilising to turn it into a battlefront for the next general election.
Felda currently administrates about 480 settlements nationwide with 112,635 settlers.
The largely Malay settlers backed BN in the last general election, resulting in PR’s defeat in rural, Malay-majority constituencies where most Felda settlements are located.
PR also lost in the Hulu Selangor and Bagan Pinang by-election due to overwhelming support from the Felda electorate.
Baharin added that PR must provide a concrete alternative if it wants to break BN’s “fortress.”
“I still do not see how PR can get the trust of the settlers. PR must seriously do something because we cannot just be good at talking and say that the other person is always wrong,” he said.
However, Sapuan Bahari, 65, conceded that while PR has been able to make inroads into the settlements.
“Even though Felda settlements are BN’s fortresses, many have been influenced by PR,” said the head of Soeharto’s settlers.
The settlers, however, admitted that they were indebted for the development and wealth brought by the federal government.
Around Sungai Tengi, several bungalows could be seen being renovated as the federal government had approved Felda housing loans worth RM40,000 after the by-election.
Md Rasidi Amran said that he first came to the plantation with nothing.
“When I left my village, the heaviest thing that I brought was a lesung batu (mortar and pestle) but now I can afford to buy five cars. I left everything behind and I had nothing but Barisan Nasional gave me everything that I have today,” he said.
Abdul Rahman said the portrayal of Felda as bankrupt was inaccurate. The settlers also rubbished reports that Felda was bankrupt. Abdul Rahman Bajuri stressed that Felda still protects the welfare of its settlers.“The issue of Felda [becoming] bankrupt is being played by the media but reality shows that it did not happen.
“If it was true then Felda will make a deduction from our income every month but we still get the fixed sum of RM1, 500. In fact, we also received a dividend of 14 per cent recently and the income statements provided show that we do not have any problems,” said the 65-year-old grandfather.
PR has been capitalising on government’s admission that Felda’s RM4 billion cash reserve has dwindled significantly, and claimed that the organisation was headed for bankruptcy.
Shariat Abdul Wahid, 74, added that Felda would not be able to pay the settlers if it was bankrupt.
“If Felda is really bankrupt then everybody should be wearing singlet and slippers, but it did not happen actually, so the claim that Felda is bankrupt is inaccurate.
“This is just a political game, if Felda [were] bankrupt then the settlers will not be able to dividend and bonus,” he said.
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