KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — As polls loom, PAS is gearing itself up to run neck-and-neck with Umno in the crucial race for Malay votes in Felda plantations, which is traditionally seen as a Barisan Nasional (BN) vote bank.
This was reflected when Mazlan Aliman, popularly known for his work as chairman of the National Association for Children of Felda Settlers (Anak), made it into the Islamist party’s central working committee (CWC) with the highest number of votes at the just-concluded party polls last weekend.
In an interview with The Malaysian Insider, Mazlan proposed that PAS use the Anak model to draw a chunk of Malay support from the Felda vote bank, pointing to his success in championing settlers’ rights.
According to reports, there are more than 250 Felda land schemes nationwide, mostly in Pahang and Johor, with at least 112,000 settlers. Descendants of these settlers total an estimated 600,000.
“I have been tackling the Felda issue for a long time and Anak was formed as a platform for settlers to air their grouses,” said Mazlan. “Since Anak started, we have received hundreds of complaints, and this shows that Felda settlers accept and endorse Anak as an avenue to seek their rights.
“We should take a serious look at this success and improve on it so that we can ultimately implement our welfare state concept.”
Mazlan said PAS needed to press on with its work to help sidelined settlers and convince them that their problems could only be solved through a change in government policies.
“In Felda’s case, the settlers’ problems can be solved if Felda Plantation is dissolved. But the present government is not ready to do so,” he said.
Mazlan had earlier alleged that Felda Plantations, which manages oil palm plantations opened under the federal scheme, had unlawfully taken over 367,710 hectares of land nationwide that were meant to go straight to settlers.
He has also cried foul over the alleged misappropriation of funds in the land development authority’s declining cash reserves. Felda has admitted that its RM4.08 billion cash reserve in 2004 dwindled to RM1.35 billion in 2009, but argued it was for investments and a RM2 billion replanting programme.
“With Anak’s presence, problems faced by settlers like the Felda Plantations issue, can be solved,” said Mazlan. “We have already stated in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) ‘Buku Jingga’ that we will abolish Felda Plantation should PR wrest Putrajaya.
“These pledges are not mere gimmicks . . . we are serious in wanting to fulfil our promises.” Mazlan said the number of votes he received at the party elections was likely due to his work in Anak. He pledged to work even harder to ensure PAS replaced Umno when the 13th general election was called.
During the polls, more than two-thirds of the 18 CWC posts were taken up by professionals in the party. Mazlan topped the chart with 804 votes, followed by Dr Hatta Ramli (765), Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar (739), PAS lawyer Hanipa Maidin (735), Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak (721), Kuala Selangor MP Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (702) and others.
“The polls results show that the delegates are now more mature and prefer candidates with credibility, who will exercise their responsibilities,” said Mazlan.
“If you compare it to 20 years ago, delegates usually refer to the party leadership first to get an idea of which candidate to support.”
