MURUT FELDA SETTLERS NOT ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE “DURIAN RUNTUH”?

Murut settlers at Felda Kalabakan upset at being sidelined

TAWAU 24th May, 2012: Felda settlers of Murut ethnicity at the Felda Kalabakan 1 and 2 Plantation are appealing to the government and Felda to review their rights as Felda settlers at the plantations concerned in a favourable manner as soon as possible.

Kg. Murut Ulu Kalabakan village head, Antik Awed, who claimed to represent the settlers concerned, said, at the present moment they do not feel anything special about being a Felda settler, but rather felt like they were being sidelined and marginalised.

As an example, he said, their share of profits in 2009 was valued atRM3,000 and they only received RM4,000 in the following year. i.e. in 2010.

The total distribution, he said, is far different from what was stated in a local newspaper report dated 30 April 2011 which states that the average net income per settler in the state in 2010 wasRM1,860.32 per month or RM22,323.89 per year.

”We are shocked and saddened with this matter because the amount we received was very much different from what was published. The result was that many of us had to rely on other jobs in order to support the family,” he said.

Through the Annual General Meeting of the Murut Cooperative Development Berhad, he disclosed that they had also applied to Felda to build houses for them, but the matter was left in abeyance.

“When we asked for a school bus for our children, this was also not provided. And, we have also learnt, much to our chagrin, that we are not eligible to receive the ‘durian runtuh’ (windfall) that was announced recently,” said Antik, who is a Board members of the Cooperative.

Meanwhile, another settler, Oliam Ansam @ Ansab, said, he hoped the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister would intervene to defend their fate as an indigenous people that need defending.

According to him, even up till now, they are still not clear about their rights as a signed copy of the memorandum on the opening of the plantation in 1998 was not given to them.

The promise by Felda to provide a new memorandum on the distribution of 50 per cent profits for the Murut community at the plantation also did not materialise, even though it was already agreed to in July 2010.

”We do not intend to lay the blame on Felda. We only hope that our pleas can be heard so that our rights as the settlers would be given consideration accordingly. We hope what we have expressed would get the attention of the state government so that our lives can be further improved,” he said.

For the record, there are over 235 settlers in the area, whereas Murut community land developed by Felda covers an area of about 7,217 acres.

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