TEMERLOH, March 22 — The Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) has allocated RM300 million within the next five years to help solve the problems faced by settlers who incurred debt totalling more than RM180,000 with the agency.
Its chairman, Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad, said currently about 3,238 settlers nationwide have incurred massive debt with Felda that required the agency to find the cause of the problem.
“We want to find out why the debt was so huge, not because they are not making repayment... perhaps, due to our faults or the condition of the soil and erratic weather as well as damage by animals such as elephants causing their crops to be re-planted several times.
“We will fix it... Felda will allocate RM60 million a year for that purpose and it will be implemented within the next five years starting this year,” he told reporters after a friendly gathering with the settlers of Felda Lakum here today.
Also present was Pahang Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin, who is also the Lanchang assemblyman.
He said officials from the agency would go down on the ground to have a closer look at the problems by collecting all the information from the settlement as well as the settlers.
At the event, Shahrir also presented RM5,000 as an incentive to 22 settlers of Felda Lakum and Felda Bukit Damar who did not have any debt with Felda.
Meanwhile, Shahrir said that another 15 Felda settlements will join the Felda 2.0 Initiative after the completion of their presentation session in April.
During the presentation, the shortlisted settlements have to put forward development ideas and to state the reasons for their areas to be selected for the 2.0 initiative.
“The selected 15 Felda settlements, together with Felda Lurah Bilut, will be allocated RM20 million to develop their areas,” he said. — Bernama
