KUALA BERANG, Sept 1 — Felcra Berhad is looking at the best way to help its 20,000 participants who are not getting returns from development activities due to factors affecting land use.
Its chairman, Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub said the problem stemmed from the agency’s previous rules and policies which stipulate that any land submitted by participants for development, including arid land, cannot be rejected.
He said one of the possible solutions was through the development of new land for the participants, but this would require the cooperation of the state government involved in the area.
“I sympathise with the Felcra participants who earn little and are not eligible to receive dividends because the land that we are working on is unproductive.
“As such, under the Felcra Berhad 2.0 Transformation Plan, we will focus on this group. We are in the midst of discussions at the management level to find the best solution,” he said after officiating at Felcra Berhad’s Malaysian Family Mini Carnival at Kampung Kuala Ping, Hulu Terengganu here.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Jazlan said Felcra Berhad would start distributing dividend payments in October adding that the payment this year is expected to be lower than last year due to a fall in crude palm oil (CPO) prices.
“However, the total dividend payout has not been determined as the head office is looking at how many participants are involved,” he said.
He said nationwide, there are 108,000 Felcra participants, involving a crop area of around 205,000 hectares. — Bernama
