Felda settler: We were cheated by Umno leaders

By Muda Mohd Noor - Free Malaysia Today
HULU SELANGOR: A Felda Sungai Buaya settler has urged the Selangor government to probe allegations that a Felda-linked developer had failed to pay premiums on 1,335 hectares of land to the state.
The company, Murnia Jaya Development Berhad which owed Felda settlers RM360 million, was believed to be linked to Selangor Umno and former Menteri Besar Muhammad Muhd Taib.
In calling for the investigation into Murnia Jaya, settler Aminah Alwi likened the issue to that of the Yayasan Pembasmian Kemiskinan (YBK) which the Selangor government had acted on for failing to pay land premiums.
“If the government can be firm with YBK because they did not pay their premiums since 2001, then why can’t they take the same approach against Murnia Jaya?.
“I was told by some settlers that the developer had failed to pay premiums to the state government on 1,335.46 hectares.
“Someone in the state government told us that the land has been mortgaged to the bank because the developer failed to make payments on their loans,” she said.
A disgruntled Aminah is among 363 settlers who are awaiting settlement on a land purchase agreement signed in 1994 between Murnia Jaya Development Sdn Bhd and the settlers.
The Felda Sungai Buaya settlers were promised RM1.2 million each when they sold their land to the developer after being persuaded by the then BN-led Selangor government.
(Former MB Muhammad Muhd Taib had aspired to develop the northern division and the interior of Selangor. He used this plan to persuade the settlers to sell their land to the developer.)
In the 16-year wait for their money, many of the settlers had died. Only 57 of them are left.
Hoodwinked by false promises
Aminah said the company had paid settlers a deposit of RM10,000 on signing of the agreement. The balance was to have been settled by the developer in stages within 48 months from the date of signing the agreement.
“But until now they have only paid 35 percent. We have tried many ways to get our money. We have approached many people but nothing has come out of it,” she said.
She said Murnia Jaya had failed to adhere to the terms of the payment agreement after the initial disbursements to the settlers.
On Sept 4, 2009, the Shah Alam High Court gave Murnia Jaya 18 months to settler the balance payment to 34 frustrated settlers who had initiated a legal action against the company.
But according to her, to date no officials or representatives have come forward to settle payment.
The 363 settlers signed an agreement to sell their collective land stretching 1,335.46 hectares to the developers on Dec 23, 1994. The company assured them that they would be millionaires.
Unfortunately they were only paid 35 percent of the total amount. The company is yet to settle the balance RM360 million it owed the settlers.
A former settler who preferred to be known only as Ismail said: “We’ve been cheated... hoodwinked by false promises given to us by Umno leaders who said we would become millionaires.
“A large percentage of settlers are Umno supporters. But despite that we were cheated by Umno leaders”
“Everytime an election comes around, they promise to settle the payment but until today nothing has happened.”
According to Ismail the 363 affected settlers from the scheme were literally “like dogs waiting on bending knees.”
“No one cares about us..But now they are here to persuade us to vote for them,” he said adding that if BN was desperate for their votes, they should just settle the balance owing to the settlers.
He said after loosing their source of income, many settlers were forced to work as security guards in factories in Rawang and in surrounding areas.
When asked why the settlers signed the documents, Ismail said all the documents were in English.
“It was only much later that that we realised there was something not right with the agreement. They deceived us.. Umno leaders and the MB. They were greedy and only wanted profits.
“If they were genuine and honest Umno leaders they would have settled the terms of the agreement with us much earlier, “ he said.