KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — The various incentives and initiatives announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Felda Settlers Day celebration on Friday are aimed at not only easing the burden of settlers but also enhancing their security.
The annual allocation of RM7.7 million to meet the operational costs of maintaining 37,012 street lights at Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) schemes throughout the country clearly shows the government’s commitment to improve the quality of life and safety of settlers.
Mukim Kemahang 1 village chief in Tanah Merah, Kelantan, Mohd Azizan Ismail, 35, said the announcement on the street light operational expenditure allocation was something the settlers had been waiting for so long.
“I hope the allocation announced by the prime minister can resolve the problems which residents here have been facing for some time,” he told Bernama.
A settler from Perak, Abu Bakar Sharif, 61, said the allocation for lighting of Felda roads is appropriate as about 60 per cent of street lights at Felda Lasah near here were not functioning.
“All this while the maintenance cost has been equally shared by the Scheme Development and Security Committee (JKKR) and residents of the village occupied by about 387 settlers.
“It is quite dark at night because of insufficient street lights and the unsatisfactory road conditions complicate matters for us,” he said.
Apart from this, the prime minister’s announcement also touched on the questions of healthcare, digitalisation and housing.
Persatuan Anak Peneroka Felda Kebangsaan (ANAK) adviser Datuk Mazlan Aliman said the announced incentives would definitely bring relief to settlers and the new generation in Felda schemes.
“The most crucial thing is the restructuring of loans totalling RM8.3 billion. This provides a tight mechanism to prevent a recurrence of leakages. I would like to remind the Felda community to always support good policies because settlers are the ones who have to bear the consequences if corruption occurs,” he added.
In Johor, Felda Ulu Tebrau village headman Ab. Jalil Sahlan welcomed the initiatives for senior citizens as most of the settlers are already old.
The initiatives comprise a special RM300 Sumbangan Kesihatan Rahmah (SKR) payment which will benefit 70,715 settlers aged 65 and above, involving a RM21.21 million allocation, and the establishment of 12 haemodialysis centres with an allocation of RM21 million.
“The building of 12 haemodialysis centres in all Felda regions will make it easy for us to access health services without having to travel too far and spend too much,” he said.
In Terengganu, Tengku Latipah Tengku Ismail, 66, from Felda Neram 2, Kemaman said she was excited with the SKR special incentive and thanked the government for its concern for settlers’ welfare.
“I am grateful because before this, senior citizens only received aid of RM50 a month from the state government. This incentive will definitely ease our burden. Furthermore, our income from the sale of oil palm is uncertain and we can only save money on certain occasions,” she said.
In Kedah, Felda Bukit Tangga setter in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Ahmad Man, 65, hoped that the government would speed up the delivery of the initiatives and incentives announced for settlers.
The prime minister also announced a diesel subsidy of RM36 million per year for three Felda schemes in Sabah, the Digital Madani programme to strengthen the gig economy, and a resolution to the remaining 283 units of the abandoned Felda New Generation Housing scheme.
Anwar also expressed the Unity Government’s commitment to write off 80 per cent of Felda settlers’ loans amounting to RM8.3 billion and to consider drastic measures to help rubber tappers switch to other commodity crops like oil palm and coconuts, subject to approval by the respective state governments. — Bernama
