By Syauqi Jamil
KUALA LUMPUR: In a bid to restore Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) to its glory days, a report on the agency’s financial status as well as strategic recovery plans of the agency will be tabled at the next Parliamentary sitting.
Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali today told the Dewan Rakyat that this will be one of Putrajaya’s effort to improve the wellbeing of Felda settlers.
He said the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government wanted to probe Felda’s long overdue financial crisis that was left unsolves by the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) administration.
“The current focus of Felda’s new board of directors and management is to restore its fiscal flow and to restructure loans which have reached RM8.025 billion,” Azmin said.
The PH Gombak lawmaker also said that they will be selling domestic non-strategic assets as well as those abroad.
He said this in response to Warisan Kalabakan MP Ma’mun Sulaiman who had asked Azmin on the government’s effort in Felda’s restructuring process.
He said the main focus was to give assurance to the settlers that their livelihood loans and revenue advances (pinjaman sara hidup & pendahuluan hasil) will be paid on time.
When asked by STAR Keningau MP Jeffrey Kitingan if the government would return Felda lands in Sabah to the state government after failing to develop it, Azmin replied by saying that its a matter which the new board will look into.
“The new government’s priority is to secure Felda settlers interests and prosperity. This includes an increased efficiency in regards to lands which were handed to Felda,” he said.
