Let us see what is happening to Felda.
Yes it is the biggest Palm Oil Plantation in Malaysia and it brings the highest pride to the nation via its systematic management to show to the world that we could change a 'people company' to be a global-ventured company. After its public listing, many diversified activities is in progress and transforming Felda into a different picture of corporate image.
However, this transformation is done by the government. The only reason for this, as cross my mind, is because of Felda has millions of voters scattered around Malaysia. Believe it or not, some Felda areas where its overlapping with 'election area', the strength of government party is decided by the Felda people. In many cases, government managed to secure the seat with the help of this people.
While we are happy with the transformation of Felda, the constituents of Felda itself are in doubt of their nature of activities in future. The second generation of Felda constituents are in doubt of their presence in Felda map in few years time. The reason because the second generations are not interested to in plantation or to stay in suburb area. They have gone to other big cities to find a better job rather than staying in Felda. The second generation of Felda some how already replaced with some foreign workers that sooner or later has taken alot of advantages with any development in Felda. Even the first generation of Felda, sometimes already 'clean up' their hands and leave it to the foreign workers to do the work. Some of them have gone to other place to work and leaving the plantation work to foreign workers. They always think that this is the best way to earn extra money every month by doing 2 jobs at once but they didn't realize the consequence of their action at the end of the day. They are the one who show to the kids that the future is not in Felda Land but other industrial area. Felda land only for the land ownership and government incentives. The land would always be their land and they could work wherever they want with the foreign workers at site.
Let us do the 'head count' inside plantation area to see how many foreign workers whom only work, or already be the 'boss' via contract, how many of the plantation owner is doing the job, how much they are making every month compared to foreign workers, how many second generation involved in plantation or maybe how many plantation already dominated by foreign workers. We are afraid if the figures are not so impressive to be displayed together with the achievement by Felda. The corporate strategies are good but the recipients of this benefits are not local Felda generation but others.
On political point of view, it is good to maintain Felda land and its generation to set an example of how government could transform the life of the people to higher standard. It is good to have a constant support from the Felda generation whenever required as long as the government would do everything to take care of them. The concept of 'pamper them' and 'comfort them' are the best application for this case. We know that people would not realize of anything as long as they are given comfortness of life. As long as they are comfort, the government would be still standing. But one day suddenly we realize that we don't own anything except some pieces of land at the end of the map and the rest already sold to foreign workers. One day we would realize that we don't have the money to manage the plantation and the only choice that we have is to surrender the land to the foreign workers. That time, we are the one whom would work for them and not otherwise.
The incentives given by the government to the Felda generations are all short terms incentives, just enough to comfort them prior to any election day. Every time they raised any issue, the government would spray some solution to cool off and they would be in silent. The government must change their intention in developing the Felda generation standard of living to a more sincere action. The programs given should be a long term strategy to ensure the continuity of Felda generation to develop the land and hand over to the next generation. Nor more issue of 'High Land Price' offered to them to become millionaire as happened in some Felda areas. This strategy would kill the generation of Felda at one time due to money. At the end, how many millionaire left with money and investment in hands and how many already gone bankruptcy. Who is the benefactor of this exercise and what sort of 'Return of Investment' back to Felda community from this exercise??
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