Economic boost for new generation of Felda Hulu Selangor settlers

KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Land Development Authority's (Felda) Hulu Selangor cluster of settlements has produced several luminaries who have excelled in their respective fields.
Among them are Tan Sri Rozali Ismail, who is executive chairman of Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) and Datuk Mohamad Khairudin Mohamad, director of the Felda publicity unit in the Prime Minister's Department.
Rozali, who is also chairman of Gabungan Wawasan Generasi Felda (GWGF) ,or the Combined Vision of the Felda Generation, hails from the Felda Gedangsa scheme, while Mohamad Khairudin, comes from Felda Soeharto.
Both schemes are located in the Felda Hulu Selangor cluster which falls under the administrative control of Felda Trolak Region.

Besides Felda Gedangsa and Felda Soeharto, two other schemes – Felda Sungai Tengi and Felda Sungai Tengi Selatan – also come under the Felda Trolak Region.
Each of these schemes has succeeded in charting its own success stories and improving the economic status and well-being of its settlers and their families.
Revving up economic activities
Felda Hulu Selangor's recipe for success is the strong team spirit and kinship exuded by the settlers, according to Felda Trolak Region general manager Muhamad Haidir Moin.

"We owe our success to the team spirit displayed by our local leaders and settlers," he told Bernama, adding that credit should also go to Felda staff, such as the managers, assistant managers, clerks and social workers, for the important role they played in taking care of issues relating to the settlers' well-being.
Muhamad Haidir said Felda Hulu Selangor is now known for being a hub of entrepreneurial activities, mainly comprising of small and medium-sized industries that produce traditional cakes, chips, and frozen foodstuffs.
It also has agricultural projects involving vegetable farming and the rearing of cows, goats and deer, as well as aquaculture, he added.
Citing Felda Gedangsa as an example, he said it has succeeded in producing a number of entrepreneurs after Kami Anak Felda (KAF) – an organisation that was formed in March last year to engage and empower Felda's second and third generations of settlers – took the initiative to provide the necessary infrastructure to help local businesses to expand their operations.
"Besides generating more business for them, the move also created job opportunities for the local people," he said.
Special retail area
KAF president Fakhrurrazi Mohd Habib said his organisation helped to create a special retail zone at Felda Gedangsa, called Dataran KAF Felda Gedangsa, to enable the settlers to earn at least RM50 to RM60 a day, by either selling their produce or running food outlets there.
Fakhrurrazi, who hails from the same Felda scheme, said its business hours were from 3pm to midnight, and among the specialities available there were fried kuey teow, venison steak, venison soup and even venison "pau".
He said besides providing training and helping the Felda business community set up their own retail outlets, KAF was also looking into how Felda's vast land resources can be maximised.

At the Gedangsa and Sungai Tengi Felda schemes, KAF has helped to implement aquaculture, livestock and poultry farm projects. Families of Felda settlers residing outside the schemes are allowed to invest in these projects, which are fully operated by the settlers themselves.
"The profits will be shared by all the parties concerned," said Fakhrurrazi, adding that he was confident that KAF's initiatives would motivate the children of settlers to return to the Felda schemes.
"They can contribute to turning Felda into a role model for other land resettlement programmes."
Passion for motocross sport
Meanwhile at Felda Soeharto, the youth community there has developed a passion for motocross racing, a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits.
Mohd Faizol Fuad Mohd Sallehaan, who is deputy president of the GWGF's Motorsports Association, said the participation of Felda youths in motocross competitions throughout the country has helped to raise Felda's profile.
Felda Soeharto boasts two motocross circuits and Felda Hulu Selangor youths have in the past won the Supermoto Asia and Motocross Expert Malaysia championships. They have also won the Motocross Malaysia championship in the veteran and junior categories.
Pointing out that the motocross racers enjoyed the patronage of his association, Mohd Faizol Fuad said Felda youths have the potential of making a name for themselves in various fields if the right platforms were made available to them.
"If they are given the right opportunities and encouragement, it will not be impossible for our youths to bring fame to Felda," he added.
Improving economic well-being of Felda denizens
KAF was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Mar 14, 2016, with the objective of improving the economic status of subsequent generations of Felda settlers by providing them with training and the necessary infrastructure to boost their business operations.
KAF president Fakhrurrazi Mohd Habib said to provide the services rendered by Felda to settlers, his non-governmental organisation would also do its part to boost Felda's image.
"We may differ from other (Felda) NGOs but our focus is the same and whatever we do will be for the good of Felda.
"We're cooperating with the Malaysian Digital Economic Corporation to train the new generation (of Felda settlers) to be well-versed in information and communications technology so that they don't get left behind in the application of digital technology," he said.
Fakhrurrazi said KAF's e-Usahawan and e-Rezeki initiatives were helping Felda entrepreneurs have an online presence so that they can reach out to a wider market.
"These initiatives are already bearing fruit as their incomes have doubled, and even tripled for some of them," he added. — Bernama