Felda

A culture of dependency has been entrenched among the FELDA settlers and it is stunting development within the community

By Kit

January 14, 2019

FELDA settlers were never given any training on financial literacy but yet they are expected to be able to understand the seriousness of undertaking huge loans and large irregular sum of payment and that they are obligated to repay the same with interest.

This policy of easy loan giving by the previous Barisan Nasional regime was intentional and had brought the settlers a lifetime of crushing debt that will get passed upon their next generation, thus creating dependency on the government indefinitely.

This is one of the main reason why it was so hard for the Pakatan Harapan campaigners to enter FELDA settlements during previous elections the last time, to campaign for their candidates. The settlers were in fear of their livelihood, that their living allowance might be jeopardised and revoked for allowing Pakatan campaigners to come into their villages.

Granted, there are a few instances where FELDA settlers are blessed with huge sums of money either from the listing of FELDA Global Venture Berhad (FGV) or the occasional high rally in commodity prices. But with low financial literacy, a significant number FELDA settlers end up not managing their finances properly, spending most of the windfall earned with no awareness for rainy days.”

Hence, the Pakatan Harapan government, as part of its FELDA reform will include more educational and training element, especially on financial literacy, training the current and future generation with a more holistic education, slowly removing the entrenched dependency culture.

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, January 14, 201)

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Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada Isnin, 14 Januari 2019: Budaya kebergantungan telah menular di kalangan peneroka FELDA sehingga membantutkan pertumbuhan komuniti mereka

Peneroka FELDA tidak diberikan sebarang latihan dalam bidang pengurusan kewangan. Namun begitu, mereka perlu menanggung beban pinjaman yang besar dengan jadual pembayaran yang tidak sekata, bersama dengan kadar faedah yang ditetapkan.

Dasar pemberian pinjaman mudah oleh regim Barisan Nasional terdahulu adalah perkara yang disengajakan bagi mengikat peneroka FELDA kepada kehidupan berhutang, yang mana akan juga diwarisi oleh generasi peneroka yang akan datang, sekali gus mewujudkan kebergantungan terhadap bantuan kerajaan.

Ini adalah salah satu sebab utama jentera kempen pilihanraya Pakatan Harapan menghadapi kesukaran untuk memasuki penempatan FELDA sepanjang kempen pilihan raya umum yang lalu. Para peneroka berasa risau mengenai keberlangsungan elaun sara hidup mereka jika mereka membenarkan jentera kempen Pakatan Harapan memasuki kampung mereka.

Ada ketikanya, peneroka FELDA dianugerahkan wang dengan jumlah yang besar, misalnya ketika hasil penyenaraian FELDA Global Venture Berhad (FGV) di Bursa Saham Kuala Lumpur dan semasa harga komoditi memuncak. Namun, disebabkan tahap celik pengurusan kewangan yang rendah di kalangan para peneroka, sukar untuk mereka menguruskan wang yang diperoleh dengan bijak untuk simpanan masa hadapan.

Justeru itu, kerajaan Pakatan Harapan, sebagai sebahagian daripada agenda reformasi FELDA akan memasukkan elemen latihan dan pendidikan, khususnya yang melibatkan pengurusan kewangan, bagi melatih generasi akan datang dengan pendidikan yang lebih holistik, sekali gus membawa mereka keluar daripada kepompong budaya kebergantungan.