MEGA GOVERNMENT AGRICULTURE VENTURES

FROM a Parliament reply by the Assistant Minister in the Prime Minister Department, Datuk Hj Ahmad Bin Hj Maslan on the Mega Government Agriculture ventures in Sabah which involving the FELCRA BHD, Lembaga Industri Getah Sabah and FELDA showed huge turn over and profits during the past years, but where are the money, said the KK MP Hiew King Cheu.

FELCRA in Sabah owns about 2,322 hectares of land in Pulau Banggi. The developed plantation can only be mature enough to produce fruits in 2014. As for the Lembaga Industri Getah Sabah or LIGS has a total of 80,115.89 hectares wide plantation with 3 types of plantation split into small holders area 69,936.89 hectares, Skim Penempatan Getah 6,492 hectares, and the special projects in Bengkoka and Pitas Estate with an area of 3,600 hectares. For the past 10 years, the plantations produces RM2,502.40 million.

The FELDA has land area of 121,405 hectares in Sabah, 10,136.18 hectares for the settler scheme, and 106,948 hectares are commercial and under the direct management of FELDA Plantation Sdn Bhd, while another 4,320,73 hectares are placed under the FELDA Agriculture Sdn Bhd. The profit of FELDA plantation after tax for the past 8 years from 2003 to 2010 was RM1,597.31 million (RM 1.6 Billion)

The Federal government through FELDA had assisted the Sabah Government program in reducing the poverty, and until December 2009 there were some RM239.71 million being allocated to the Sabah Government for the purpose. That made up to 30% of the profit of FELDA from the period 2004-2008. At the same time, FELDA also paid the agriculture land premium amounting to RM122.90 million to the Sabah Government.

Somehow the mentioned program was terminated, but the Prime Minister agreed to put in a Poverty Fund in Sabah starting in 2010. In 2010, there was RM12.226 millions being used. This fund was from 20% of the after tax profit of the FELDA plantation starting from the financial year 2009 for 5 years after deducting the utility cost taken up by FELDA in Sabah.

The KK MP Hiew King Cheu commented that the tax payers’ money spent in developing these plantations is in huge amount, but looking at the details given by the assistant minister on the money earned from the plantations, we felt sad, because we don’t really know where all the money earned finally ended up.

The billion of ringgits earned were not given enough details and the also on the where about of the income from these huge plantations. The money supposed to be given to help to eradicate poverty in Sabah was so small.

The principle in setting up the FELDA and FELCRA to help the poor was not met and Sabahan remains poor with a poverty rate of 16.4%. The poor Sabahan did not received the real benefit after all. The money earned should be spent 100% in Sabah and not to be taken away.