Special task force on Felda to table report by next month

The special task force set up to address Felda issues will be tabling a full report on the agency including efforts to consolidate its financial position by early next month.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Economy), Datuk Seri Mustapha Mohamed said the report is a follow-up from the tabling of the white paper "Towards A Sustainable Federal Land Development Authority (Felda)" in Parliament in April last year.

"The special task force chaired by Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar was set up by the government and it has almost completed its report and we are expecting it to be officially delivered to the government in a week or two.

"It is expected to be tabled this month or the latest early next month and we hope in October, the government would be able to announce several actions to ensure the sustainability of Felda," he told reporters after a meeting with the leadership of North and South Trolak Felda in Slim River here today.

The announcement on the establishment of the task force on Felda issues was made by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin when launching the 2020 national-level Felda Settlers' Day celebration last month here in the effort to identify the best approach to ensure the financial sustainability of Felda for the benefit of the settlers.

Commenting further, Mustapa who is also Jeli MP said apart from finding ways to consolidate Felda's financial position, the report would also contain the model to reduce the debt burden of settlers and efforts to raise output.

"The current production of between 19 and 20 tonnes per 0.4 hectare (1 acre) per year would be raised to the target of 25 tonnes per year and the target is achievable," he said.

On the Trolak Region Herbal Valley as announced by Muhyiddin earlier, Mustapha said it is one of the efforts to improve income by continuous monitoring to ensure its success.

Meanwhile, when asked on the Slim by-election, Mustapha is confident Felda settlers numbering more than 13,000 from 23, 094 voters in the constituency would give their support to Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Mohd Zaidi Aziz following the government's efforts to improve the social and economic standards of the Felda community.

The Slim by-election is a three-cornered fight between BN's Mohd Zaidi Aziz, 43 and two independent candidates, namely S. Santhasekaran, 44, and Amir Khusyairi Mohamad Tanusi, 38, representing Parti Pejuang Tanahair (Pejuang) which had just submitted its official registration application yesterday.

-- BERNAMA