Malay rights pressure group Perkasa today led 1,000 people in a demonstration against Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) director-general Zulkifli Wahab.
The demonstrators demanded an internal audit on all departments within Felda to remove "traitors", whom they claim included Zulkifli.
PKR said Datuk Dzulkifli Abd Wahab “suspension” as Felda director general helps clear the way for a controversial public listing — which its settlers fear will shortchange them.
Senator Syed Husin Ali told a press conference here today the prime minister’s office ordered Dzulkifli to an eight months study leave, so that chairman Tan Sri Isa Samad (picture) who recently replaced Dzulkifli as Felda Investment Co-operative (KPF) chief can get on with the capitalisation exercise.
Under the proposal to list Felda Global Ventures (FGV), settlers will swap their 51 per cent stake in Felda Holdings — which made RM760 million last year — for a 61 per cent share in FGV, whose international subsidiaries have reportedly lost RM500 million up to 2010.
The former PKR deputy president said Dzulkifli was also replaced while he was performing the haj in Mecca when he should have chaired KPF board meetings as its chairman.
“He was replaced while he was on pilgrimage. And now he’s effectively suspended until July or August next year, which is after the scheduled listing. This is all very suspicious. They have gone behind his back,” he said.
Pakatan Rakyat is all set to lay the groundwork to prove its seriousness in fulfilling the Orange Book or Buku Jingga pledge that Felda Plantations Sdn Bhd will be dissolved within 100 days of Pakatan taking over in Putrajaya.
Pakatan had promised to dissolve Felda Plantations in order to provide land to second and third generation Felda settlers who now have no stake on the land which their parents have worked on.
Subsequently, the Association of Children of Felda Settlers (Anak) will spearhead efforts to distribute the company's 367,000 hectares of land to at least 79,000 people.
PAS needs to gain a substantial swing in votes in the three Felda and one Felcra settlements of the Kerdau constituency in Pahang if it hopes to win the coming by-election, said candidate Hassanuddin Salim.
Datuk Seri Najib delivers a speech during his visit at Felda Jengka 23, Kerdau in Pahang today.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has criticised the opposition for alleging that the government was treating Felda settlers as slaves without caring for their welfare.
He said that since Felda was set up 54 years ago, the settlers who did not have any land previously could now be proud and enjoy the benefits of their struggles.
"If the people say that we purportedly enslaved the settlers, which slave can afford to own 10 acres of land? Which slave owns a brick house or a semi-brick house or at least the front wall of the house is made of bricks?
"Fortune does not come on a silver platter, this is all because you chose the right government," he said when addressing a gathering of settlers at the Felda Jengka 23, here today.
Also present were the prime minister's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Felda Chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad.
A non-governmental organisation has lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) against Felda Holdings Berhad, a government-linked company (GLC), for alleged misuse of power.
The 1Malaysia Graduate Youth Club chairman Tan Kian Soon submitted a 50-page memorandum to the MACC containing the allegation and naming four individuals from the GLC connected to the scandal. The memorandum was received by MACC senior officer Azlin Mohd Ali.
According to club secretary-general Ezaruddin Abd Rahman, Felda Holdings, through its subsidiary, has allegedly awarded a RM160 million contract by direct negotiation method to a company chaired by an individual who is also a board member of the subsidiary.
He said the individual is also one of the inventors of the processing machines supplied to the subsidiary under the contract.
“Not only did the award of jobs to the subsidiary of a public-listed company not follow the parent company's tender procedures, the machines supplied by the contractor were also giving operational problems to the mills involved," he said.
Felda Holdings Berhad, one of Malaysia's largest agro-based enterprises which run the commercial business related to the Federal Land and Development Authority (FELDA).
Its largest shareholder is the Felda Investment Co-operative which holds 51% ownership of equity, with Felda holding the remaining 49% equity. The Minister of Finance Incorporated has one Golden Share.
Ezaruddin said the government must view the matter seriously and investigate the matter thoroughly as it involved officers of a GLC allegedly providing misleading information for their own benefits.
“By making this report we hope to address the people’s problems. We received lots of complaints on this and it is also widely discussed in the blogs. Certain individuals in the GLC have brought losses to the company,” he said, adding that a copy of the memorandum was also submitted to the Prime Minister's Office.
Ezaruddin said the club was established on Nov 10 and has 8,000 members to date, comprising professionals like lawyers and company directors.
Attempts by theSun to contact Felda Holdings were unsuccessful as its public relations officer was not in the office.
Kelab Belia Graduan 1Malaysia wants the authorities to investigate if a subsidiary of Felda Holding Bhd can award tenders worth RM160mil to a single contractor through direct negotiation.
Club secretary-general Ezaruddin Abd Rahman claimed that direct negotiations were against Felda Holding’s tender procedures that stipulated that open tenders should be called for jobs worth over RM50,000.
The group had alleged in a 50-page memorandum that four members of Felda Holdings board of directors had abused their powers.
Copies of the memorandum were submitted to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency and the Prime Minister’s office here on Monday.
“We believe some board members have vested interest in the projects that involved purchase of continuous steriliser machines.
“Based on a pilot project in Pasoh Palm Oil Mill in Negri Sembilan that started in 2006, we have received complaints that the machines delayed the processing procedure,” he said.
He claimed that RM5.5mil pilot project in Negri Sembilan did not yield the desired result, but the board was keen on expanding the project to other locations.
Ezaruddin said the Prime Minister must be alerted of the discrepancies in such government-linked companies. “We know certain quarters will try hard to block this information from the Prime Minister,” he said.
MACC assistant superintendent Azlin Mohd Ali, who accepted the memorandum, said they would look into the complaint.
Also present were club chairman Tan Kian Soon and his deputy chairman Najieb Mokhtar.
The club that was set up on Sept 10 has more than 8,000 members, all of whom are young professionals. “We have set up a secretariat to monitor discrepancies in GLCs,” he said, adding that information could be sent to admin@graduan1malaysia.com
Felda Holdings officials could not be contacted for comment.
It is learnt that Felda Holdings group managing director Datuk Mohd Bakke Salleh is currently abroad.
