69% of settlers are aged 61 to 79 years

KUALA LUMPUR: Most of Felda’s 317 land schemes are now facing the problem of a significant change in demography with 69% of the settlers aged 61 to 79 years.The white paper on Felda tabled in Parliament by Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali highlights this challenge, with most elderly settlers still dependent on Felda for a living.

There are also settlers aged above 80 and still owing Felda, according to the paper. The statistics show that out of the 112,635 settlers, only 4,008 (3.4%) are aged between 25 and 45.The ageing of settlers is a problem for Felda in managing the holdings, especially when the land inheritance is not managed well.