Lee Chean Hung, speaking to FMT, gave two reasons for his confidence: PPBM’s membership of Pakatan and disgruntlement among settlers over their poverty.
He said PPBM had shown that it was able to make inroads into Felda estates.
He claimed that his own observations had confirmed a belief held by many pundits that PPBM was gaining influence in some Felda areas where opposition parties previously could not.
As for discontent in the settlements, he said the basic reason for this was a lack of jobs “as well as upward opportunities”, especially for third-generation settlers.
“Because of this, crime has become rampant in many Felda settlements in Pahang,” he added.
However, Roslan Md Isa, chairman of PAS-linked Pertubuhan Generasi Warisan Kebangsaan, painted a different picture.
He agreed that Felda settlers may not be as loyal to BN as they were before, but he said this did not mean they would vote for PPBM.
“God willing, they will no longer be with Umno and BN, but neither will they be with Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s team,” he said in reference to the PPBM chairman.
Roslan acknowledged that PPBM speakers had been able to attract large crowds in Felda estates, but he said this was mostly out of curiosity.
He said PPBM, as a new party, did not have a good grassroots network.
He alleged that Felda’s problems took root during Mahathir’s 22-year tenure as prime minister and claimed that second-generation settlers were aware of this.
“PPBM can say whatever it wants because talk is cheap,” he said. “But the facts will present themselves on polling day.”
Twelve out of Pahang’s fourteen parliamentary constituencies contain Felda settlements.
The only two which do not are Kuantan and Indera Mahkota, both of which PKR won in the last general election.
Recently, Jempol Amanah chief Abdul Rahman Ramli, saying he was speaking for residents of a Felda setttlement, claimed that the Felda management had “absolutely failed” in the administration of its estates.
Rahman was present at the submission of a memorandum to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission that urged the agency to find out how the ownership of Felda’s Jalan Semarak land had reportedly been taken over by a private concern.
Felda activist Mazlan Aliman weeps, pleads to save the agency