09/01/2012 (New Straits Times) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has urged the Felda community to place full confidence in the listing of Felda Global Ventures Holdings Sdn Bhd (FGVH), as it would ensure them a secure future and windfall in the months to come.

He said the government would not betray the Felda legacy as sacrifices had to be made to ensure its success.

"I will not betray Felda, which was initiated by my late father who sacrificed a great deal for it.

"I will make sure the Felda community gets the maximum profit from the venture," he said, addressing Felda Gedangsa settlers here yesterday.

Najib said the listing would take the settlers forward to becoming shareholders of a global company that was able to reap high dividends.

The prime minister assured FGVH would be more professionally managed to make it a leading plantation company in the world.

"We will manage Felda in a more organised manner, collaborate with multinationals as our partners, instead of remaining a mere producer of palm oil, and garner profits in the markets of Europe, China and other countries."

Najib said while Felda was corporatised in terms of plantation management, there would be no disruption in the socio-economic programmes for the community, such as better infrastructure and welfare aid.

He also reminded the settlers not to be fooled by the instigation of certain quarters bent on foiling the FGVH listing plan.

"The opposition attempts to create chaos in the Felda community. It fears that once we deliver our promise, the Felda community will reap huge dividends and this will be to their (opposition's) detriment in the next election."

Najib said the housing project for the second generation of Felda settlers at Kampung Felda Soeharto had yet to be implemented because the Selangor government had not approved it

The project involved more than 200 housing units on a 12ha land. Najib had launched it during the Hulu Selangor parliamentary by-election in April last year.

"Although the land belonged to Felda, it had to be given back to the state government for sub-division. This has not been approved by the state government until now," said Najib, who is also  Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman.

"I can't do anything more as they have rejected the application. If you want the project, if you want a better future, make a change," he said, adding that the change must be made during the next general election.

He said he was not surprised at the attitude of the Selangor government because previously it had  rejected the application by Yayasan Basmi Kemiskinan (Poverty Eradication Foundation) to build a Universiti Teknologi Mara campus in Serendah.

"The project had to be shifted to Malacca. This is the actual situation. I am explaining it so that the people would not say that I have reneged on my promise or that Felda has not fulfilled the promise (made) at the by-election."   

Najib also announced projects to be implemented by Felda worth RM1.1 million, of which RM200,000 was for the construction of a children's playground and outdoor exercise at Felda Gedangsa in  Soeharto, Sungai Tengi, Sungai Tengi Selatan.

He also said the Federal Government was allocating RM3 million to build a new mosque at Felda Sungai Tengi.