BANGI, Aug 21 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reached out formally to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, requesting special intervention regarding Felda’s investments in Indonesia, specifically involving PT Eagle High Plantations Tbk (EHP).
The appeal follows the discovery of a potential large-scale financial loss amounting to RM2.5 billion, sustained as a result of decisions made by previous management.
Without a resolution, the returns the agency might eventually recover are estimated to be only around RM200 million, Bernama reported.
“This investment (EHP) is stuck in the courts in Indonesia. I have written a letter to President Prabowo Subianto asking him to also look into this problem. Then, if it is not addressed, of this RM2.5 billion, what we may eventually obtain is RM200 million. This is one example,” Anwar said.
The PM disclosed these details during a Friendly Session with Felda’s top management and managers today. He explained that the transparency regarding these fiscal figures is intended to ensure that the agency’s grassroots leadership fully understands the gravity of the challenges facing Felda.
While acknowledging that the financial burden does not fall directly on regional managers in states like Pahang or Johor, Anwar stressed that a collective understanding of the crisis is essential for a successful recovery.
“I want the managers to know, and how difficult it is to recover … it is not the managers’ problem. Felda managers in Pahang, in Johor, what does this (investment) have to do with them? But (the problem) is borne by us, that is the problem, so (everyone) must know,” he said.
Anwar urged management at all levels to ignore narratives or propaganda that attempt to downplay governance failures, insisting that the problems must be confronted head-on.
“I have repeatedly said that we bear this problem … the matter I need to emphasise is that I want Felda managers as a whole to truly digest the problems. It does not mean that sometimes they should feel weary or tired, but they must know that these problems must and have to be addressed,” he added.
As part of a comprehensive recovery plan, the PM said that the government is accelerating basic welfare projects. This includes immediate allocations for repairs to the homes of managers and settlers, ensuring these essential works are not postponed until the next budget cycle.
Anwar later emphasised that the focus on governance, integrity, and accountability is not a search for scapegoats, but a necessary step to safeguard public trust and restore Felda’s legacy as an institution of national pride.
