KALABAKAN: Felda Umas residents have appealed to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to intervene on unresolved issues affecting second-generation settlers, particularly concerning the approval of approximately 500 acres of land for second-generation settlement and the Second-Generation Felda Housing Project (PPGKF).
Around 55 settlers gathered peacefully at Felda Umas on Saturday to submit their plea, hoping the Prime Minister would take a direct role in addressing long-standing welfare concerns affecting the community.
A second-generation settler, Hasmadi Amat Asan, 44, said the group seeks urgent resolution of critical issues, especially securing land or housing for the next generation.
He noted that while the Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, had given positive support, the settlers had not received any recent updates.
Many second-generation settlers currently live with their parents, with up to five or six families sharing a single house, due to a lack of housing or land to build their own homes.
“We want clarity on the status of land allocation for second-generation settlers at Felda Umas. We are also ready to engage in discussions if Felda management wishes to meet,” Hasmadi said.
The settlers also called for attention to local infrastructure, including water and electricity supply, road access, and youth economic development, stressing that these are crucial for the welfare of Felda Umas residents.
Chairman of the Felda Umas Youth Council and a second-generation settler, Khairul Irwan, 39 highlighted that the PPGKF has long been pending, and that Felda Umas settlers have not received the same housing support as settlers in Peninsular Malaysia under the New Generation Felda Housing Project (PRGB).
Despite previous promises, no housing units have been built to date. Meetings with the developer, Koperasi Perumahan Awam Malaysia Berhad (Kopama), have not yielded updates, leaving many applications, some submitted as far back as 20 years ago unresolved.
Another second-generation settler, Jubaidah Nustari, 50, urged for the handover of housing units to be expedited, citing concerns for their families’ future as older members retire.
Felda Umas Village Head Otoh Kanus, 67, said the need for land grants for residential plots, noting that while settlers have received grants for palm plantations, no grants have been issued for housing areas despite promises dating back to the 1980s.
Felda Umas, part of the Wilayah Felda Sahabat 2 settlement scheme, was developed from the early 1980s to 1990s for large-scale palm cultivation and currently has 776 settlers, with a total population exceeding 10,000 residents.
The settlers’ appeal underscores the urgency of addressing long-standing land and housing issues to secure the welfare and future of Felda Umas communities.