KUALA LUMPUR: Felcra Bhd has the facilities — from physical amenities to funds — to help the government enhance the country's food security.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also the rural and territorial development minister, said this new direction would be implemented under Felcra's "Transformation 3.0".
"What has been done previously under Felcra have shown good results, but the good report must be added on.
"By reducing food imports, it will help reduce foreign currency exchange, which will eventually make Malaysia (ringgit) stronger," he said during the Felcra Bhd briefing session at its headquarters in Setapak Jaya here, today.
Zahid stressed that Felcra should focus on production of main crops or vegetables to be used as animal feed instead of relying on imported materials.
He said Felcra has a land capacity of more than 200,000ha and companies covering various fields of agro-economy activities.
The statutory body has been showing good results, but they must be reflected in producing more primary food products, such as protein-based food in animal feed without relying too much on imported materials, he said.
"Instead of import goods, we can use those produced by Felcra's other agencies or private and commercial farms.
"We also have to look at the downstream industry from the nine Felcra palm oil mills across the country," he said.
Touching on the Auditor General's Report as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday, Zahid said his ministry was looking into reports of leakages.
"I have informed ministry's top management in a meeting yesterday that we must take urgent measures to overcome the findings of the report that focuses on leakages such as misconduct, embezzlement, abuse of power, or any matter that involved in handling of funds or management," he said.
Yesterday (Jan 18), Anwar told his cabinet members to take seriously and scrutinise the Auditor General's Report 2021 on the expenses, leakages and matters of non-compliance with conditions and regulations involving their respective ministries to ensure that the issues would not reoccur.
When asked on the appointment status of the Felcra chairman, Zahid said it would be streamlined with the appointment of all chairmen of other government agencies.
He had on Dec 16 last year announced the reappointment of Machang member of parliament Datuk Ahmad Jazlan as Felcra chairman, but Anwar later said it was postponed.