Felda will hold an engagement session with settlers in the near future to hear their views on the agency’s new direction following the recent tabling of its White Paper.

Deputy Economic Affairs Minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin told Bernama that engagement with settlers was a key process in the efforts to reshape Felda.

When tabling the 'Towards the Sustainability of Felda' White Paper in the Dewan Rakyat on April 10, Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali announced an allocation of RM6.23 billion to Felda in stages in the form of grants, loans and government guarantees for the sustainability of the agency.

Radzi said the engagement session would also gather the settlers’ feedback on the Felda white paper.

He said Felda’s management would also share ideas with settlers on the proposal mooted by the Economic Affairs Ministry for settlers’ land to be combined and cultivated efficiently on a large scale.

Radzi added it would create synergy if each settler's 4.5ha plot of land combined together, for large scale cultivation.

“80 percent of Felda settlers now are aged 60 and above. Instead of leaving their land not optimally used, it is better they hand it over to Felda to be managed as a big plantation,” he said.

However, he said, the proposal to develop the land ultimately depended on settlers’ agreement.

- Bernama