14 October 2010

Peneroka Felda buat laporan polis terhadap Ahmad Maslan

By Zefry Dahalan

SEREMBAN: About 40 Felda settlers today lodged a police report here against Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Ahmad Maslan for implying that they cannot handle money responsibly.

The settlers—from Felda schemes in Jempol, Tampin, Kuala Pilah, Jelebu and other parts of Negeri Sembilan—were escorted by Mazlan Aliman, president of the National Felda Settlers’ Children’s Association (Anak), as well as Negeri Sembilan PAS commissioner Zulkefly Mohamed Omar, Jempol PAS chief Abdul Rahman Ramli and Tampin PAS chief Zakaria Khalim.

It was not clear what they wanted the police to investigate, but they said they felt insulted by Ahmad’s statement that Felda was reluctant to reimburse them from the authority’s Re-seed Fund for fear that they would mismanage the money and leave their lands idle.

Mazlan said more settlers would make police reports throughout the country.

The offending statement was carried last Friday by the Malay daily Harian Metro, which quoted Ahmad as saying the settlers might use the money to buy motorcycles and cars or to repair their houses.

“It’s a total insult,” Mazlan told reporters. “The money belongs to Felda settlers and it is their right to get back whatever amount Felda is still holding. They are not so foolish that they don’t know how to spend the money wisely.”

Mazlan explained that 14,882 settlers had re-seeded their plots on their own and most of them were still waiting for the reimbursement.

He said settlers had been contributing RM40 per month to the Re-seed Fund for the past 20 years.

“The money absolutely belongs to the Felda settlers and it doesn't make sense for Felda to question how they would spend their money."

He said he had sent text messages to Ahmad demanding a retraction and an apology but had received no response.

"It’s clearly reported in the daily that Ahmad said plantation lands were not properly maintained and had turned to jungles occupied by wild boars, pythons and rats,” he said as he waved a clipping from the newspaper.

"What an insult and humiliation for the settlers.” -FMT

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