LAHAD DATU: The stern action taken by Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) to sue several organizations and individuals is to warn parties not to arbitrarily spread baseless lies about Felda.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Razali Ibrahim said stern action, such as bringing such cases to court, should be taken so that it would not happen again in the future.
He said lies and baseless accusations against Felda would worsen its reputation and image and it must be stopped as the agency was striving to boost its revenue and such matters could affect its efforts.
“So far, Felda is involved in 113 lawsuits and 29 of them are still on trial and this matter involves significant costs to Felda. Therefore, we hope the compensation given is worth the cost.
“Felda is an organisation and we have to take into account the stakeholders under it. High compensation will also serve as a lesson to any party so as not to arbitrarily spread lies and make false allegations against Felda,” he added.
Razali said this at a press conference after officiating at the ‘Program Jelajah Iktiraf Felda Wilayah Sahabat’ at Desa Kencana on Sunday.
The programme aimed to unite the youth in Felda through activities and highlighted the potentials of Felda children from all angles.
Razali also pointed out that the Internet and social media can be a platform for consolidation and can act as a medium to improve knowledge and obtain the latest information on the progress of current issues around the world.
In addition, the internet and social media can also provide an opportunity for the community, especially the youths, to learn a variety of skills and knowledge, he said.
Being aware of the internet advantage, he said the government had provided allocations to increase the coverage and internet speed in the country.
“However, the internet should be used wisely for the good, instead of using it as a medium for slander or incitement that can threaten the prosperity of the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, Razali said from his observations and reports received, the security situation in the region is now more secure, especially with the presence of security personnel in the area.
“There are no longer any threats or incidents happening in this area and we are very grateful for the concern and determination of the government to protect the people.
“I believe the people can also see the seriousness of the government concerning the security of people and our country with the allocations that have been provided in the 2015 budget, where two new camps will be built in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), one of which will be at Felda Sahabat,” he said.
Commenting on the programme, Razali said that through the programme, the youths will be imbued with good values through activities so that they would be excellent individuals in the future.