MELAKA: The Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) is likely be the next agency to be investigated, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic).
This came after His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, told him that investigations into institutions owned by the people should not end with Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH).
“The King told me last week, do not let it end with TH, (but) continue.
“His Majesty also asked who is in charge of Felda now. I answered, me, (so) once TH is done, uncover what happened at Felda,” he said in his speech at the PKR national congress yesterday.
Meanwhile, Anwar, who is PKR president, said the government would not compromise with anyone found to have breached regulations or misappropriated public assets.
“Believe me, the directive is clear. Whoever acts against the rules, steals public assets or siphons off funds, the directive is to take action as swiftly as possible.
“Do not pass judgement before we have certainty. We also have a problem of immediately pointing fingers, which we should not do.
“So let the enforcement agencies investigate and act professionally.”
He said the responsibility of settling the financial commitments now had to be shouldered by his administration to ensure the sustainability and welfare of the settlers were not affected.
Anwar also reminded authorities not to be too lenient, but to take firmer action regardless of the status or identity of those being investigated.
“Do not delay, do not compromise and do not consider which party they belong to, what position they hold or what race they are.
“There are some who claim to be among the elite and intelligent, saying that the Prime Minister is now desperate and appears to be taking action out of revenge.
“So, according to them, if action is taken, it is revenge. If no action is taken, it is a compromise and sluggishness.
“Say whatever you want, but I want to state that a process of firmer action starts now,” he said.
Previously, Anwar said excessive political interference had turned Felda from a profitable billion-ringgit plantation giant into an agency saddled with almost RM10bil in debt.
The government pays about RM980mil annually just to service Felda’s debts.
As for TH, he said no Cabinet member had objected to the decision to release the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report.
“Not one person objected to the decision,” he said.
“The decision to disclose the RCI report on TH was made by the Cabinet, yet there are parties who are afraid to debate it openly.
“Instead, they walked out of Parliament on the basis that the Prime Minister was undergoing an operation,” he said, referring to Opposition members who walked out of the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday in protest of the Prime Minister’s absence from the special sitting on the RCI report on TH.
