By AFIQ AZIZ / Pic By HUSSEIN SHAHARUDDIN

The Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) has been urged to revise its plantation worker scheme in order to expedite the labour shortage solution.

National Felda Settlers’ Children Association president Mazlan Aliman said Felda should focus on recruiting local workforce instead of relying on foreign labour.

“Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGVH) is conducting interview sessions for local job seekers.

“We will be offering the next generation a monthly income of about RM1,500, as well as better incentive schemes,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Mazlan said at present, the settlers are getting about the same pay as a foreign worker, which is RM1,000.

He further added that the interview “campaign” should be widely promoted and encouraged to ensure that Felda’s next generation will benefit from this opportunity.

In addition, Mazlan said Felda should also provide training to the group.

“The new generations should learn the business side of Felda so they can one day be independent enough to run and manage their own plantations,” he said.

The labour shortage issue was reported last month, in which under its new chairman Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid, FGVH was asked to resolve the shortage of workers by delivering 6,000 foreign workers all over Malaysia.

Mazlan said the deployment of granted quotas by the Home Ministry should not be delayed for too long.

“Now that they are using an online system to manage the foreign labour intake, the follow-ups by Felda Technoplant Sdn Bhd (the land manager) and FGVH should be done in a more efficient way,” he added.

Mazlan further said the issue was brought up to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi by Felda chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Samad and other representatives from FGVH and Felda Technoplant in a meeting that was held early this week.