15/04/2011 (Bernama) -- The Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) is willing to work together with the Sarawak government to develop idle native customary rights (NCR) lands, said its chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad.

He said Felda had no problems working with any state including Sarawak in turning idle lands into plantations as it had wide experience in this.

"We (Felda) depend on land, if the state government offers land, we are willing to develop them into rubber or oil palm plantations like what we have done in the peninsula," he told reporters after meeting settlers of Felda Sempadi here Thursday.

He said so far no firm discussions had been made on the matter but Felda would pursue it further after the Sarawak state election on Saturday, following Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib's statement in Miri recently that he (Taib) welcomed joint ventures between Felda and locals in developing NCR lands for oil palm cultivation.