PADANG BESAR, July 11 — Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) schemes have the potential to be developed as tourist attractions.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said Felda should leverage on its strength of being a unique community group towards this purpose.

"They (Felda settlers) can showcase their skills, such as food production,” she told reporters after a visit to the Diamond Msha homestay in Felda Mata Ayer, near here today.

Prior to that, along with deputy minister Datuk Dr Jeffrey G. Kitingan, Nancy visited nine other tourist spots in Perlis, which, among others included attractions such as Gua Kelam, the Kota Kayang Museum, Taman Rimba Herba and Warung Tepi Sawah.

Nancy said the tourism sector would not be able to operate smoothly without the participation of the community itself.

"The Felda community has its own unique attraction, they (tourists) can see how we unite the people through Felda schemes,” she said.

It is also a testimony of the government’s success in developing Felda, and its ability to come out with its own products, Nancy said.

Meanwhile, Diamond Msha operator, Mahasa Chik, 55, said the Felda management first gave her the idea of starting a homestay business in 2006.

"Response has been more than encouraging as we get not only visitors from within the country, but foreign tourists as well, who all seem to show a keen interest in the way we live our lives in these schemes,” she said. — Bernama