It was a decision made with a heavy heart, he said, but with the strong belief that “working the land” would provide a better future for him and his family.
It turned out to be the right decision by Hussin, popularly known as “Ustaz Hussin”, as he now enjoys an average monthly income of RM4,000 from his four-hectare oil palm plantation.
This means an annual income of between RM48,000 and RM50,000.
“It’s a sacrifice for everyone who joined the land scheme in those days because we had to leave our villages and loved ones, not knowing where the place was or what the conditions were there.
“The conditions then were very bad. We were given a house with one room, a kitchen, and outside the house was the toilet, with the four walls made of zinc sheets,” he told Bernama.
Hussin said Felda Lui Timur was opened in 1978. When he joined the land scheme the following year, there were 601 settlers.
“I have been with Felda for 38 years, and for certain, the early years were difficult.
“But with determination to achieve what we came here for, and with the cooperation of Felda in providing various facilities such as schools, a mosque and a kindergarten, it got better and better over the years.”
Hussin, who is now a motivational speaker and is often invited to give talks in the Felda land scheme, said through Felda, he had been able to visit 28 countries.
“If I did not quit my job as a religious teacher then, the highest I would go before I resigned would be headmaster.
“But now, as a settler, I have property with the land title given to me in 2006,” said Hussin, who was awarded the Negeri Sembilan “Tokoh Maal Hijrah” award in 2011.
He said he now lived a comfortable life and had no worries for the future of the next generation as everything had been built by the first generation settlers.
He said the Felda community had progressed tremendously.
“For example, we get Hari Raya aid and bonus every year, and many others. What more do we want?
“Before, at Felda Lui Timur, there were only about seven or eight cars and 15 to 20 motorcycles. Other than that, there were only old bicycles.
“With the progress, there are more than four cars at a settler’s house, and I have seen a settler’s house with 12 cars. This proves that their (settlers) success is because of Felda. I, myself, have three cars,” he said.
Hussin added that he was shocked by Prime Minister Najib Razak’s announcement of the six incentives during the Settlers Day celebration on July 23.
The incentives announced by the prime minister included those in the form of debt disposals, incentive payments, and the setting up of a special fund and grant and housing incentive involving an allocation of RM519 million.