KUALA NERUS: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak today announced that Felda’s second generation settlers could now buy a house to call their own for between RM60,000 and RM70,000.
He said he had previously announced that houses priced at RM120,000 under the Second Generation Felda Housing Programme involving about 20,000 units, would now cost RM90,000.
“We will build more houses that cost RM60,000-RM70,000 in future; we will resize and redesign each unit from 1,100 sq ft to 850 sq ft; what is important is that it is affordable,” he said.
He said this while launching the national-level Felda Settlers Day 2015, themed, ‘Mensyukuri Nikmat’ at the indoor stadium at Gong Badak Sports Complex here.
He was confident that the target group would respond favourably to the new house price structure decided by the government to fulfill demand.
Najib said the government had done a lot to assist Felda settlers “who are a group that knows the meaning of being appreciative for the benefits they received.”
He said Felda settlers were aware that only the present government could transform the livelihood of the rural population.
Because of their confidence in the government, Felda settlers were now harvesting the fruits of their labour, he said.
He alluded to organisers of the Bersih 4.0 rally, who “would not be able to help the settlers.”
Aside from the housing projects, Najib said other forms of assistance were being given to second generation Felda settlers as announced in the 2015 budget, including in education amounting to RM51.5 million.
“Under the special fund for outstanding students, 11 children, grandchildren of Felda settlers and staff have secured places at established universities abroad, including three who are studying medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland,” said Najib.
Meanwhile, he expressed confidence that Felda would continue to progress despite challenges in the face of falling world palm oil prices.
He disclosed that Indonesian President Jokowi had agreed to the cooperation between Malaysia and Indonesia through Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV) and Rajawali Group in respect of PT Eagle High Plantation (EHP).
Currently, EHP has 425,000 hectares, of which 67 per cent are in Kalimantan and the rest in Papua New Guinea (nine per cent), Sulawesi (nineteen per cent) and Sumatera (five per cent).
In combination, Malaysia and Indonesia would become the producer of 85 per cent of the world’s palm oil, according to the prime minister. –BERNAMA