Felda says to sue Anwar, PKR over bankrupt allegations
By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — Felda says it will file a defamation suit worth hundreds of millions against several PKR leaders, including Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, for making what it says are false claims that the land development authority is bankrupt.
Also expected to be named are the party’s newspaper Suara Keadilan, several reporters, a former deputy minister and a PAS MP.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Ahmad Maslan claimed in a press conference today that the allegations were malicious lies created to discredit Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“They are not true. We regret all these malicious lies spread against Felda.
“After consulting with several of our lawyers, we have decided to file a defamation suit against all the parties involved in making these allegations,” he said.
Among those to be named in the suit are PKR de facto leader Anwar, PKR supreme council member Zaid, Kuala Terengganu MP from PAS Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut, former Land and Co-operative Development Deputy Minister Datuk Tan Kee Kwong (now a PKR member), one Suhaimi Said, the chief editor of Suara Keadilan, its owner and at least three reporters.
“We will file it soon, as soon as we have assessed how much the suit should be worth.
“But I believe it would be to the sum of hundreds of millions of ringgit for their allegations have affected us drastically especially in the confidence of our investors and our stakeholders,” said Ahmad Maslan.
He reiterated that while it was true that Felda’s cash reserves had declined RM2.73 billion from RM4.08 billion in 2004 to RM1.35 billion in 2009, its current and fixed assets had risen as much as RM6.2 billion from RM9.17 billion in 2004 to RM15.37 billion in 2009.
“Furthermore, our net assets currently stand at RM12.2 billion.
“So how can they say we are bankrupt?” he said.
Ahmad Maslan was referring to a front-page article in the PKR’s newspaper Suara Keadilan fated June 22 to 29 that carried the title “Felda Bangkrap” in bold.
“This title is just wrong. There was not even a question mark at the end. It makes a false statement claiming it is a fact that Felda has gone bankrupt.
“Furthermore, in the other articles inside, there are allegations claiming that Felda constructed a building involving only three individuals and that we refused to place settlers in Terengganu. Lies, lies, lies, lies,” he said.
Ahmad Maslan said the opposition was likely attempting to discredit Felda for it knew that the land development authority was handled by the prime minister himself.
“I think Najib is the main target here. Furthermore, they also know that Felda is a strong fortress of the Barisan Nasional,” he said.
He also accused the opposition of being envious to see a Bumiputera organisation as strong as Felda.
“We have 23,000 staff and they are paid by Felda itself. Furthermore we have at least 40,000 estate workers,” he said.
Ahmad Maslan added that Felda was the largest estate owner in the world.
“We also own 340 million hectares of estates that produce a net profit of RM1.1 billion annually for the past six years.
“We also have overseas investments in Indonesia, South Africa, China, Turkey, the US, Canada, Pakistan, Australia, Thailand, France, India and Saudi Arabia.
“Our financial position is very strong based on our financial ratios and our net assets,” he said.
Ahmad Maslan noted however that many of the authority’s overseas investments had yet to record returns.
“But we look at them as long-term investments and not short-term. They are not failed but are merely yet to generate returns,” he said.
Over the past two weeks in Parliament, the opposition had been continuously flaying Felda and Najib for the authority’s depleting cash reserves, and even urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate it for possible financial mismanagement.
