FELDA A SUCCESS STORY IN HELPING THE POOR

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 (Bernama) -- The Federal Land Development Authority
(Felda), which opened land schemes to help the poor since 1961, is a major
success by the government, said the Regent of northern state of Perak Raja Dr
Nazrin Shah.

He said Felda not only helped thousands of Muslim families overcome poverty
but brought them to attain higher success.

"Imagine, what would the fate of over 112,000 rural families in the hardcore
poverty group be if Felda never existed," he said when closing the 3rd Islamic
Economic Congress here Thursday.

Based on the chronology of Felda's creation, he said Felda settlers only got
to enjoy a more modern lifestyle 12 years after the Briggs Plan was introduced
for the establishment of new villages.

The Briggs Plan, launched in 1950 by the late Sir Henry Gurney, who was the
British High Commissioner in Malaya then, involved the resettling of some
400,000 Chinese living on the fringes of jungles in new villages in the
outskirts of town.

"The new villages were equipped with roads, electricity and water supply,
schools, health facilities besides jobs and business opportunities made
available. This was a time when many Malay families did not own land," said Raja
Nazrin, adding that the Briggs Plan was not really favoured by the Malay Rulers.

"At a meeting of the Conference of Rulers on May 24, 1950, they objected to
it as it was seen as seizing land belonging to the Malays and also observed that
the socio-economic infrastructure provided was much better than that available
at traditional Malay villages.

"The Malay Rulers had also expressed their misgivings on the appointment of
Gurney as the British High Commissioner in Malaya in 1948 based on his record
towards the Arabs when he (Gurney) was Chief Secretary to the Palestine Mandate
Government (1946-1948)," he said.

However, he said efforts by Felda to develop 853,000 hectares involving over
112,000 pioneer settler families, proved to be very successful and the fruits of
which were being enjoyed by their second and third generations.

"Now their children from teachers have become even university professors,
kampung midwives to specialist doctors, clerks in government offices to
corporate bigwigs, from football players to Akademi Fantasia champions," he
said.

Raja Nazrin said it was the courage of the early settlers to migrate to the
Felda schemes that brought their succeeding generations a modern lifestyle with
all the trappings like utilities, proper roads and drainage, quality schools
apart from practicing modern and structured agriculture.

"Now, the people living in Felda schemes are way ahead of their counterparts
in undeveloped villages," he said.

He added that Felda and also Tabung Haji (Pilgrims Fund) were clear
demonstrations of the power of ideas that were successfully implemented despite
all the trials and tribulations.
-- BERNAMA