Manfaat nyata lebih berkesan raih undi berbanding siasatan, kata penganalisis

Perdana Menteri Anwar Ibrahim announced the government's intention to investigate Felda issues following the release of the Royal Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (RCI) report on Tabung Haji. According to Tawfik Yaakub from Universiti Malaya, exposing wrongdoing within Felda through investigation is a more strategic approach to garnering support from Malay voters, compared to merely probing corruption within the agency.

RCI's report on Tabung Haji was published on July 29, one day before the PRN Negeri Sembilan. However, this move failed to help Pakatan Harapan (PH) retain power in Negeri Sembilan, as they lost control to the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN). Tawfik said that a similar approach should apply to the Felda issue, as political trust could be built if the government implements reforms that increase panners' income and improve Felda management.

This would also allow PH to prove that its reform agenda is not just catering to urban elites but also addressing critical institutional issues affecting rural Malay communities. At the PKR National Congress last Saturday, Anwar Ibrahim announced the government's plan to investigate Felda issues, which came shortly after the RCI's Tabung Haji report was published.

Felda was established in 1956 to develop rural land and improve the living standards of Malay people without land through the agricultural scheme. However, Felda faces various challenges, such as debt, high resettlement costs, and land ownership/preservation issues. The agency also faces scrutiny over management and its finances.

In 2019, the previous PH government released a white paper outlining measures to address Felda's financial and management problems, including RM6.23 billion in government funds to help cover its debt. Mazlan Ali from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia also sees siasatan of Felda as insufficient to influence Malay voters generally, as poorer income groups rarely pay attention to such issues.

"Anti-corruption investigations into government agencies like Tabung Haji and Felda can only garner support from M40 and T20 income groups, primarily middle-class and high-income Malay individuals," he said. Mazlan added that PH and PKR should focus on reforming the Felda system, particularly in areas that fail to protect panners' interests effectively.

"There are many complaints that existing systems sometimes benefit Felda more than the panners themselves," he said.