The Settler vs. the Government
I take a short leave from debating Anwar's ideas. I am sure readers are aware that the comments that ensue after the articles often degenerate into personal attacks against each other. These reflect the dominance of emotions over rational thinking. if people go into elections with such a mental condition, the outcome of any elections is determined more by judgement calls of the moment. I am not convinced choices made on this basis is good for the country. The ferocity of exchanges also show how intensely society has been polarised. We shall come back to these issues in the coming days.
Let us discuss other current issues. FELDA for example. The land programme that is touted as a successful showcase of economic planning. It has allowed more than half a million people enjoy the benefits of organised land ownership and organised economic activity. Or has it?
It is ironic to see billboards on our highways showing kids who are presumably FELDA children smiling with beaming faces against a backdrop of skyscrapers, our own twin towers and tall buildings and so forth. In light of what's happening to FELDA now, we are beginning to question has the FELDA money been actually used to finance things not related to FELDA at all? For example, the money that was spent on the purchase of the Millennium Office Complex from Naza could have been an opportunity cost of building better schools inside FELDA schemes.
Has the agency that was created by Tun Razak brought sunshine to more than 500,000 FELDA inhabitants?
FELDA seems to be getting the wrong kind of publicity nowadays. It all started with an allegation by a former deputy minister that FELDA's cash reserves have fallen from RM 4 billion to RM 200 million. There were also rumours saying the FELDA is borrowing money from EPF to meet its shortfall in cash.
How the original issue degenerated into claims that FELDA is becoming bankrupt wasn't clear. The deputy minister in charge of FELDA affairs, Dato Ahmad Maslan has initiated legal action against the accusers. We shall wait for the court drama to unfold. Personally I thought this was a stupid move. Rather than demolishing the allegations with hard facts, the legal action will further enhance the credibility of the allegations.
The issue achieved great significance because its alleged that what FELDA went through took place during the time when FELDA was under the control of PM Najib. The inference is fairly obvious- that under PM Najib, FELDA was mismanaged and its cash reserves dissipated. Worse, the money was applied to arbitrary and frivolous pursuits at the expense of FELDA settlers.
The government should come out clean on these allegations. Allow its books to be inspected by and independent auditor. Telling everyone that its books are there for anyone to inspect isn't good enough. The better option is to allow and independent auditor go over FELDA's books and publish the results thereof. Better still, publish a white paper on the application of FELDA money.
How many MRSM's were built in FELDA schemes? Were these built at inflated prices? How many futsal stadiums? What are the social amenities and facilities provided? How much expenditure do all these consume? Do these tally with the usage of FELDA cash reserves? Were they invested in profitable ventures. how are the returns? Or are they categorised into the more fashionable term of outflow of FDI or negative outflow of investments? Or even classified as lumpy investments abroad that will take longer time to produce benefits?
Each day, there are always new things to ask. The most recent being the cost of replanting by FELDA. While it costs its competitors around RM 700 per acre to replant, FELDA spends on average RM 3000 plus per acre. Why is there so glaring a disparity? We have to answer the annoying accusation that this figure represents the level of profiteering that's taking place within FELDA.
It's a stupid answer saying that it costs FELDA this much because the cost of supporting the settler while trees mature has been included. The question is, why should the cost of supporting the settler be included in replanting costs? Would it not be efficient from a management perspective for FELDA to differentiate between the costs so that they could know the true replanting costs? That if everything is lumped altogether into a composite cost, that would be opportunities to conceal hidden and unjustifiable costs? It's impossible for FELDA not to be unaware of good financial housekeeping.
It will definitely create the suspicions, that the enormous re-planting cost has been deliberately inflated to disguise possible skimming of FELDA's cash. A thorough investigation must be conducted to dispel any notions that FELDA Plantations Berhad is a den of thieves.
Why should FELDA take out its cash reserves and buy an office complex from the Naza group? Was the purchase price justifiable? How much of the cash reserves applied to improved living conditions in FELDA schemes? Settlers are not going to be impressed about tales of investments in America or elsewhere in the world when living conditions in FELDA schemes have not improved significantly to reflect the huge amount of cash that been spent.
A few days ago, FELDA has become a defendant in a litigation brought upon it by a group of settlers. It is being sued for RM200 million. The basis of the suit is an allegation that for years FELDA has been cheating settlers by short-changing them. It is alleged that FELDA has deliberately understated the yield for FFB (fresh fruit bunch) sold by settlers to FELDA. Instead of getting a yield of 24-25%, FELDA gave a yield of 16-19%. This has been going on for around 15 years and was taken as a systematic scheme of pilfering by FELDA. It will interesting to know whether in the intervening 15 years, the settlers now bringing a suit against FELDA made any attempts to redress the situation.
It's even scarier to arrive at a conclusion that what is happening to FELDA is symptomatic of a more severe irreversible rot that has reached every sinew and bone of governance in our country. That corruption has reached levels beyond redemption which indicates that the government is simply incapable of correcting them. More so if corruption and abuse of authority can happen in such brazen openness, it is a terrible indictment on the resolve of this current administration to stem a pervasive culture of thievery. 
34 comments:
Dato,
U have finally touching that sacred cow of TRazak!
Dig deeper iff u can & more maggots r going to crawl out from the hidden depth!
For years, those of us working with the Orang Asli & thus 'happened' to come into contacts with the peneroka of Felda (Felcra, too), we have noticed huge discrepancies within the management of the operation.
The settlers have put their blood, sweat & tear to cultivate the lands, while the management was pilfering from the cool air-conned office. Remember those opulent spending during the handaran ceremony of those top management officers?
The settlers were/r simple people with no much education & they DIDNT/DONT how to argue their cases. Thus they became the easy prey!
Moreover, how many of us, who could investigate/care were been allowed to investigate?
Only now the scandal is slowly coming to light & with the help of the educated generation of the settlers. These new breed has been exposed to the world & they know what pilfering is. Thus the now frequent action taken by the settlers themselves.
Yr call of 'Allow its books to be inspected by and independent auditor.' will never see the light of the day. Believe IT!
Very magnificent article which will respect from the exploited Felda settlers and corruption fighters.
FELDA can tell the marines to believe that its management is impeccable and above board.
What we see is a cancer that has spread right from the "head to the toe of the nation".
You know and I know that every single person in charge of a GLC, local council or any government institution is out to empty the kitty.
It's ironic why you are still with UMNO which is responsible for
"That corruption has reached levels beyond redemption which indicates that the government is simply incapable of correcting them."
Let me add that this suit is not the first and neither the last. In fact FELDA Kemahang settlers has succeeded in the action for cheating against FELDA.
Sometimes umno lovers here so benci anwar or dap or pas that they dont want to see the real prob of bigger issues like Felda....
Its not really UMNO leadership but because of the UMNO members attitude towards corruption of the top leadership, the ordinary members just tutup mata, telinga dan mulut..... So the rotten leadership continues to cheat the poor ppl like felda settlers and lies after lies...
If ppl like shasul anuar, quiet despair and Alumni x pasti direct their anger towards umno leadership, elect honest leadership, malays would have been richer and competitive.
Instead malays are continued to be fed with lies, cheated left n right by all the melayu celup like mamak mahathir, cina jepun badawi and Lanun Bugis najib...so in the end if UMNO were to in power for the next 10 years, all ordinary umno member and pakatan need to beg in street and beg for job in Indonesia, US, UK, Aussie...
Dato Sak,
I like this article, if Najib or his kuncus can clarify these, BN will sure win election. I am afraid they cant justify them. This is one blantant examples of what the lanun has rompak and raped the nation
Dato' AK47,
Semangat untuk tolong-menolong sesama sendiri telah banyak yang luntur lebih-lebih lagi apabila kebanyakan dari kita telah semudah itu terbuai dek kerana mendapat jolokan sebagai kuda timang-timangan DAP. Ini bukan sekadar telahan bersifat dongengan tetapi disimpulkan menerusi tulisan-tulisan yang dihantar ke laman-laman blog.
Begitu juga sejak sekian lama, dalam banyak komentar di laman sesawang, terlalu ramai yang dengan bangganya mengaku bahawa kebanyakan mereka lebih condong kepada pemikiran anti-establishment (condong kepada ideologi PKR, DAP dan PAS) dan meskipun boleh dianggap sebagai 'duri dalam daging' tetapi masih mengisi kebanyakan slot sebagai tenaga insan dalam sektor awam dan GLC.
Kalau itulah realitinya, bagaimana untuk menolak andaian sesuatu kebobrokan (kalau ia sememangnya ada)yang menghimpit tujuan keujudan dan hala tuju sebenar sesuatu entiti seperti Felda, adalah berkaitan dengan usaha terancang lagi licik yang dipelopori oleh 'duri dalam daging' semata-mata dipengaruhi oleh sentimen politik kepartian walhal mereka sepatutnya bersikap neutral dan menerima sedanya perumpamaan ini: 'di mana bumi dipijak di situ langit di junjung.'
ALPASIKU
One thing for sure and common among almost everything government/public money is involved.... their prices are much much higher plus many projects are quickly thought up ideas just to get the "contract".
One thing we know. To fight corruption one of the MOST important issue is "leadership".
When the captain is not able to enforce it because of whatever reasons (you and I know .. no need to elaborate) and refuses to set up independent agencies, you can never fight corruption.
The saying goes... "my boss also do it what. So how can he control me. I bochor him too."
You see Singapore able to do it .. is because the chief there LEE KUAN YEW is super clean (although too authoritarian and confucious minded). His deputy would not dare to do anything but emulate his boss. This goes all the way down to the Police in the field.
Over hear, you be challenged to find one that actually actively have this kind of people. There are many who are honest but they are powerless to do anything. Who cares and want to bother. Who wants to be whistle blower and be prosecuted? Stupid dont you think.
So debate what you all want. The first part and easy part also cannot implement .. and you want to fight curruptions... Duh.
It is not just Felda, it is practically everywhere where rakyat money is involved. After all it is the rakyat also taking and giving bribes or partaking in currupt practices. Some say ... it is good for business! LOL
Dato Sak
I have to agree with you that commenters on your blog resort to personal attacks because they lack the intelligence to debate rationally... and you see that among the UMNO supporters here. Then the tit for tat starts.
Isn't that an indictment of the state of the nation today, and an indictment of a govt since Merdeka on race relations. It got worse since the days of our founding fatthers stood shoulder to shoulder to fight for Merdeka.
I don't blame all the commenters here, including people like Shamsul Anuar, or Quiet Despair or Alumni PASTI or Schenker78, for their racial taunts. It is their upbringing from their family and their environment.
When people like Quiet Despair behave KURANG AJAR, it is because of their upbringing within their family and the people they associate with since the day they were born.
Dukacita sunggoh kepada bangsa dan agama!!!
Tales of pilfering by Felda have been around for a long time that it is hard to deny at least some element of truth in it. Continuous denial will on make it worse for Felda and the government. Bite the bullet now! The ensuing storm will blow for a while before other issues grab the headline.
Dear Sak
What can I add to a good copy. Selamat Ramadan tomorrow to you and everyone.
I promise I will be kind if not provoked.
Top of the morning Schenker78 aka Shankar or Shanker.
Never fail to mention me. Missing me already yah?
Good or bad, Felda represents UMNO's success story.
Never in a million years will Mr Please Bend Over aka Aljay ever think of such schemes.
Given the chance he will dismantle Felda.
Now his people are terhegeh-hegeh begging for votes in the coming GE.
Dato'
Thanks for highlighting the settler's predicament.
I believe the settler will win against Felda in this case.
Justice shall prevail in the end.
Hakiman
You hakim people by your yard-stick of selective, discriminatory and myopic viewpoints.
You are fit for a laugh. It's fair game to be kurang ajar when condemning Najib and Malays. Of course haram to be kurang ajar to the revered and holy ONE.
Who imported kurang ajar culture to the Malays? Who imported gangsterism and hooliganism during election campaigns and on nomination day? Who is kurang ajar to Agong, Sultans and all government institutions?
Of course everybody knows the answer.
We are gomen people brought up in an environment of saya yang menurut perintah.
We are not brought up at Kuli Line, estate or Jinjang. Or even Felda schemes or sting-garden (setinggan) settlements.
We leave kurang ajar to you and PKR bloggers like old fart Zorro, Susan Loone, and others.
(Just compare Pro-UMNO and PKR commentators and you see who are the obnoxious ones spewing f-languages).
Bahasa menujukkan bangsa.
Selamat berpuasa. Bacalah Quran banyak-banyak okay.
Jangan mengutuk orang sangat nanti batal pulak puasa.
Okay, let's stick to the issue at hand - Felda.
NEXT.
"Good or bad, Felda represents UMNO's success story".
Apa punya cakap ni?? Kalau bad, sucess story apa?
The fact of the matter is that praises about Felda is the same as praises about NEP - most of it are just platitudes. Like NEP, Felda has not been a disaster. Its based on one key fact - the price of fats has more than kept pace with inflation compared to the price of other crops which has not.
Similarly, the NEP has not been a disaster because of the democratisation of education and technology in the second half of 20th century and basically UMNO being less autocratic with itself than with the rest of Malaysia.
Both NEP and Felda result got less to do with performance than it has to do with external risk favourable to it.
So the fact there are issues with Felda should not be surprising. Is it bankrupt? Who knows. Can it be? Put it this way, its lack of disaster is because of not taking risk, if it takes more risks, its more likely.
Its obvious that is not the issue. The issue is that its fair game politically. If the BN is serious about reform, any problems with Felda can be fixed with sound practises. But if BN is not serious, then all the spin about its hidden issues is more than legitimate political fodder for PR..
As you point out, all Felda has to do is stop being adventorous, do the numbers the way it should be done and fix the issues and it should be the end of it - IF BN is serious about reform. But if they are NOT, then cest la vie, all is fair..
POVERTY has no monopoly on race.... unless of course if UMNO lovers want POVERTY to be owned by the Malays only.
Govt should help the segment of Malay society who are poor, NOT because they are Malays.. likewise the Govt should help the segment of Chinese and Indian societies who are poor, not because they are Chinese or Indian.
That was the main reason for the existence of NEP.
For that reason,Felda should have been engineered to be a MALAYSIAN initiative and accepted as a rural development initiative to help rural MALAYSIANS, not just rural Malays.
Even that, UMNO-led Govt sought to politicise the POVERTY of the rural Malays in the FELDA schemes.
Since 1970, NEP has been hijacked to enrich only the politically connected and influential UMNO Malays and their Chinese and Indian cronies in MCA and MIC and Gerakan.
That is the state of the nation today, after 50 years of Merdeka
Tuan Moderator,
Setiap kelahiran ada bapanya. Begitu juga dengan Felda. Felda adalah ibarat 'anak' dan bapanya adalah 'Bapa pembangunan. Meskipun Felda dipersepsikan semacam 'anak terbiar' tetapi nasib Felda tetap terjamin selagi ia terus berada dalam jagaan si Bapa asal (Bapa pembangunan) berbanding kalau-kalau ia dijaga oleh 'Bapa tumpang' yang belum tentu hatibudinya.
Bukanlah tujuan penulis untuk merendah-rendahkan upaya dan kredibiliti si Bapa tumpang secara umum tetapi kalau isu rumah urut dijadikan 'sempadan', adalah jelas bahawa si Bapa tumpang hanya tangkas menuding jari terhadap Bapa terdahulu tetapi bukannya mencuba sedaya upaya menonjolkan keupayaan atau kewibawaan sendiri.
Ini bermakna selagi Bapa tumpang belum dapat membuktikan yang mereka secara harfiah adalah ikhlas, prihatin dan rela memikul peranan sebagai bapa alternatif dan selagi mereka terus menuding jari ke arah orang lain sebagai alasan atas kelesuan dan kegagalan sendiri, maka tidak ada ruang keyakinan buat Bapa tumpang akan dapat menjaga entiti yang lebih besar dan lebih mencabar.
Oleh itu bagi pihak yang prihatin dan kuat kemahuannya untuk melihat Felda mendapat penjagaan dan tumbesaran optimum, mereka harus terus berusaha tanpa jemu hinggalah sasaran sedemikian itu tercapai tetapi jangan sesekali beranggapan bapa tumpang memiliki kuasa ajaib yang mampu menjadikan Felda cergas 'berlari' tanpa terlebih dahulu melalui proses meniarap, merangkak, duduk, bertatih dan berdiri atas kaki sendiri.
Makanya, jalan depan terbaik ialah dengan mengikuti panduan ini: "sebusuk-busuk penjaga asal, ia tetap darah daging Felda itu sendiri." Lagi pun sudah tentu Felda akan terus mendapat layanan kasih sayang sejati kalau terus dijaga oleh si Bapa asalnya itu!
JejakKaryaMaya
Recently there was a briefing given by Tan Sri Dr. Mohd Noor to a group of bloggers. Perhaps you were also present.
I presume, like any other briefing, only the juicy parts were brought to light. I don't know how convincing it was to dispel all the negatve perceptions (hard facts?) against Felda.
On the legal action, Maslan had no choice but to go ahead with it. Najib had already obtained an overwhelming 'yeh!' at the end of his address to Felda settlers recently.
Quiet Despair,
For a Malay, you certainly developed disgusting kurang ajar attitudes on this blog. You are judged by what you wrote about others. It is worse that we are now entering the holy month of Ramadan and your mind is still feel with racial filth.
I call people like you, that include others, whether Malays, Chinese or Indians or Mat sallehs, as anak yang kurang ajar when you vomit racial filth on others, and with your myopic sense of communal pride.
I am proud of the graciousness of the great Malay culture and which had withstood the test of time even under foreign domination.
It is people like you who contaminates all that is good in the Malay culture, and which cause other races to look down on us.
Jangan hina bangsa sendiri dengan mulut berbusuk.
Hakiman
Us? You mean you are a Malay?
SShh, not scared of proclaiming you are a Malay?
I thought you are a Malaysian first.
Not afraid to be called a pariah by people who dont like the word Malays?
I leave you to keep on being kurang ajar, okay, just like your beloved leader.
Jaga bahasa, agama, dan bangsa kita boleh? Banggalah kita dilahirkan Melayu.
Takut kurang undi ke?
The "oil content" issue is a difficult one to win in the courts.After all,its willing seller/buyer..and no specific proof.Sampling is irrelevant cos wat was purchased is certainly different from the sample.Variance is dependent on maturity of trees,rainfall,harvesting time & numerous other factors.Even a durian tree can yield 500 fruits in a season & only 200 the next.
TO be fair to Felda..check out wat the other (independent) oil millers are paying the small holders.Bet it may even be lower.
BUT..if Felda wants to play fair...they can always reconcile the ACTUAL oil yield against the assumed Oil when they purchase the FFB from the settlers..and THAT can be done retrospectively for the last twenty years cos records should be available.
Would Felda employ independent auditors to do some number crunching to clear the air?
Quiet Despair
Kau ni penghina bangsa dan malu kepada agama betul. Buka mulut,keluar nafas busuk...sa olah-olah perangai kurang ajar.
Dato
I believe you knew in deep your heart that severe irreversible rot has indeed reached every sinew and bone of governance in our country and has been for awhile. Corruption has indeed reached levels beyond redemption within the government of the day. This has nothing to do with race or religion or political affiliation but to do with the values (or utter lack of it) of the people who currently run the country.
The big question is do you have the courage to confront the reality and personally take active and positive step to help stop the rot and put this country back on a proper footing. Do you feel you need to do the right thing not for yourself but for the future of your children and their children.
There are many Malaysians out there, Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Kadazan, etc. who have no political affiliation and who are only interested in making Malaysian a better home for them and their family. After all, they were born here and they would probably spent the rest of their lives here, as with their children and their children's children.
Do you feel you can make things happen for the better? From what I have read so far on your blog, I think you can, if you want to.
Best wishes and happy Ramadan.
Hakiman,
You're caught by Quiet Despair..so you're a MALAY...first time I heard a PR goons admit he's a MALAY. hu hu hu...Hamikan is a MALAY...hu hu hu...see all the racist chinese eyes are staring at you...Hakiman is a MALAY. Then suddenly he realizes his mistake when he says memalukan agama...I suppose Islam la kot...so Hakiman is a MALAY-MUSLIM...
Felda must do an audit of each Mill to check actual oil yield versus paid to the settlers?Its not a difficult exercise and can be completed within 2 weeks.
Make it an independent study and publish the results.Clear up the issue once and for all.
Hope someone is listening.
Dato'
Quoting you:
"That corruption has reached levels beyond redemption which indicates that the government is simply incapable of correcting them. More so if corruption and abuse of authority can happen in such brazen openness, it is a terrible indictment on the resolve of this current administration to stem a pervasive culture of thievery."
I would further venture to say that such corruption and thievery have the active connivance of the government.
Alumni PASTI
Nak kata bodoh macam Quiet Despair pun tak kena. Pemikiran saperti budak belum sekolah.
People like you are what cause foreign investments to disappear from this country and it is the POOR MalayS who suffer most with any economic breakdown. Not the Chinese, not the Indians. While UMNOputras like you suck up the life blood of this country without a blink of an eye.
That is why you and your ilk and Perkasa have arrived quite timely to sink the country into a deep hole quicker. But people like you don't read anything about the economy of the country, do you? Poodah!!!
Alumni PASTI
Kan kita semua tahu PKR goon ni boleh bertukar warna kulit, bangsa dan agama mengikut keadaan.
Seperti kata Tun M: "Anwar ni kalau dengan Arab, jadi Islam, kalau dengan orang Amerika dan Israel jadi Yahudi."
Macam tu juga lah penjuaknya HAKIMAN.
I am no fan of the present government but as a government it cannot simply be reactive to every hue and cry of its opponents. It can call a white paper on everything, open the books on everything the opposition wants to open. If it does once, then it will be pressed to do it everytime.
On another site, the issue of those born on Felda settlement came up. As I understand Felda is not a scheme in perpetutity. It is a closed scheme now and certainly not something that was meant to be handed down. The first generation was meant to earn a higher income and their children were meant to be educated and move out of the settlements.
What is happening is that the 2nd generation who chose to continue to live in the Felda settlements now feel entitled to things that they were never meant to receive, not part of the initial idea of Felda. The cake can't be sliced in perpetuity to succeeding generations.
Felda in essence is suffering an existential crisis. There has been no rejuvenation, nor remodelling of its activities. It is being run until the last of that first generation of settlers pass on? Or in perpetuity till no one lives on Felda settlements?
Quiet Despair
Memang kaum lain kata Melayu bodoh dan menghina bangsa ... tengok muka engkau sendiri dalam cermin. Gunalah otak sikit kalAU nak bincang masalah bangsa sendiri
"That corruption has reached levels beyond redemption which indicates that the government is simply incapable of correcting them."
well said dato,
so where do we go from here?correct the incapable government?
Hakiman,
If people like me cause foreign investment to disappear ( I do not know which economic theory you are basing on), then I would ask how much of foreign investment can you and your kind bring in? All these years, it's my kind (the malay) who's been ruling this nation without fail, bringing in FDI, leading Petronas, uplifting the standards of living of many rural Malays(of course there are left out, mana ada sistem yang perfect, even communism pun masih ada jurang kaya-miskin), and SUDDENLY, now with shrinking FDI, it's because of my kind.
Hakiman (may be dia ni hakim tua, kot) it's part and parcel of world capitalism. So, now if the FDI moved to vietnam, is it's because vietnamese are intelligent or it is because the capitalist found a virgin land to fcuk!
Alumni PASTI
Its people like you that make other races, not only in this country, but outside, that look down on the Malays. You represent the worst face of the Malay culture. The type who is jealous of other peoples' success, the type who thinks the world owe you a living, the type who wants to benefit with doing little, from other peoples' sweat.
Don't talk about the Chinese and the Indians in the country lest you make other Malays look silly.
Remember who forms the majority contributing to the tax which people like you expect the Govt to foot your lifestyle. If you don't know, go ask your UMNO friends in the Treasury or the Income Tax Dept. You are a disgrace to the Malay community by your arrogant attitude.
quiet despair,
u said "Good or bad, Felda represents UMNO's success story."
so is felda good or bad? u are quite a despair man..
alumni pasti,
"All these years, it's my kind (the malay) who's been ruling this nation without fail, bringing in FDI, leading Petronas, uplifting the standards of living of many rural Malays(of course there are left out, mana ada sistem yang perfect, even communism pun masih ada jurang kaya-miskin), and SUDDENLY, now with shrinking FDI, it's because of my kind."
your kind my kind your kind my kind. the problem is u can't understand the difference between your kind and your party. thts because your party has somehow screwed u or ur kind so badly that your brains can't be wired like the kind of dato sak's. understand?
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