FELDA: Malaysia’s socio economic powerhouse makes RM 1.1 billion net profit a year. To provide land for the landless to eradicate poverty. But pre-existing Indian rubber tappers excluded

There are 442, 000 Felda, Felcra, Risda, Fama, Mardi, Agropolitan, etc ten acre land ownership schemes in Malaysia. Felda alone has 225,270 in 317 land schemes and is the world’s largest estate owner with 340,000 hectres that has generate RM 1.1 billion net profit a year over the past 6 years (NST 7/7/2010 at page 5).

Today the third generation Felda plantation workers are entrepreneurs and professionals.

But in all this 53 years of national mainstream development of Malaysia , even the fifth and sixth generation Malaysia born Indians are denied opportunity in the 442,000 ten acre land ownership schemes. Even though it was the Indians that were displaced when estates gave way to townships.

One Malay-sia?

P.Uthayakumar