Feb 242010
1530: Felda settlers, who have contributed much to the nation’s economy, pour into the Sukaham building to highlight their plight.
1415: Scores of Felda settlers have turned up at Suhakam to submit a memorandum listing out their problems and demands.
Felda settler Saad Jamarudin: We assemble to hand over a memo to request Suhakam’s intervention to protect our rights – Photo by Tian Chua
More are expected to turn up, says an eye-witness at the scene.
Related posts:
First, congratulations to the settlers ‘stepping out ‘against all the odds’ not only from the Felda Management but especially in giving the “real” picture as opposed to the highly “glorified” scenario presented by PM Najib.
There is no question that the settlers gained much confidence in the near dozen or so articles and analysis submitted by me and others fearlessly published by Malaysiakini (one of which in fact called on the settlers to ‘speak out’)which they have now done
But most important of all by so doing the settlers have highlighted details of what can happen when a political/elitist group usurps institutional power and emerges as a classic case of “Pagar Makan Padi”
Indeed, it can be shown that this scenario is in fact what is happening in almost all the social institutions and organizations created by Tun Razak to uplift the socio-economic position of the Malays in both rural and urban areas.
Please allow me to use this column to call on ALL the leading politicians- Tun Dr Mahathir, Tunku Razaleigh, Lim Kit Siang and Zaid Ibrahim to ‘stand up and be counted” on the extent to which Felda can be seen as a microcosm of what in fact is ailing the Malays-across the board.
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Gerakan K,
For your further understanding and easy recall what happened after Sodomy 1.
http://www.malaysia-today.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30339:drawing-the-political-lines-a-pas-umno-role-reversal&catid=16:from-around-the-blogs&Itemid=100132
By the look of things something is seriously wrong within UMNO. The way your 1PM is going out of the way to woo the Indians and the Chinese, something is just not correct, do you agree? Majority Indians ignored him at Batu Caves, and at Pandamaran, they (allegedly) have to import “Chinese” to be present at the 1PM’s function, whereas the actual Pandamaran folks, flocked to Jenjarom to attend the functions of PR. Even so, the MSM, mentioned there were 40,000 in attendance, where the place can only accomodate 5,000. 20,000 were present in Jenjarom. Do you know where these place are Gerakan K?
Coming back, do you agree that the split within UMNO is so deep that it is not possible to repair? Every state, almost every states there are huge problems, Selangor, Perak, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Negri 9, Melaka, Johore and even in your own 1PM state, the conflict is large! Do you agree that the PM realized that something huge is coming and against the interests of BN? He knows the feelings on the ground, the Malays are split, the Chinese, 85% are for PR, the Indians 70% are for PR, and he knows that something huge is coming from East Malaysia come the next GE? Something is not right, Gerakan K. Please let us have your idea and thoughts about all these that is happening.
And now asking the Chinese to invest on an equal basis? What is wrong? Remember, the last time they sold trust funds/unit trusts? 100% of the Chinese portion was taken up? Only 15% of bumiputras portion, reserved for people like you, were only taken up? … Now they want to korek from the Chinese again? Really, has the lacked of FDI so badly affecting the Government of the day? Why, Gerakan K? Let us have your opinions, views and thinkings. Thank you bro. But do not be too KL in your reply ok, bro? Cheers!
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Gerakan K,
Why is your political masters always reneging on contracts, agreements and promises? How to cooperate with them? So difficult la, now they are asking the Chinese community to work on an equal sharing basis, better avoid la.
Even (some of) the poor FELDA folks who had worked the lands, toiled for decades are going to have their RM17,000 cheated, whereas the PR Governments in Penang and Selangor are assisting all senior citizens of the states. That is the way to go, a caring Government, a Government for all. Who would want to vote a Government who takes what belongs to them? Compared to another, who takes care of them during their old age? Too much differences and BN looks so weak, regressive and totally unreliable. PAS is so progressive and the real deal! Jom sertai PAS, Gerakan K.
Cheers bro.
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Hi Anil,
Is it possible for you to get a copy of the memorandum and put it up on your blog?
This way, the rakyat would be more aware of the grievances of the Felda settlers.
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This might shed more information:
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Hi Anil,
Thanks for the link to GB.TV.
I hope that MPs from both sides of the political divide would probe into the grievances of these Felda settlers.
Their problems and grievances seem to have been kept away from the public eye, whereas formerly when news that Felda settlers became instant millionaires from their holdings were trumpeted in the mass media!
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I think this is good. Rural folks are frustrated enough to take action to assert their rights. This augurs well for Malaysia. There should be more of these. It shows politicians can no longer take the rural folks for granted.
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I am inspired by the comments.
Concerned Malaysians will agree with the theoretical position being projected namely, that for nation-building and national unity, the ‘intra-Malay’ problem needs to be addressed and overcome in the first place.
I will be most happy to forward a copy of my UNDP report as requested. The problem is that this was submitted to the then Ministry of National Unity which now no longer exists!
Perhaps anilnetto could kindly get “clearance” for me to send him a copy?
Readers may also wish to read my Letter posted in Malaysiakini today.
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