Best Felda scheme to get RM1mil reward

obmar · Site Admin Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 5697

Nation
Sunday September 2, 2007

Best Felda scheme to get RM1mil reward

PEKAN: The best Felda scheme in the country will receive RM1mil cash from next year, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

The Deputy Prime Minister said of the amount, each family would receive RM 10,00 as an incentive.

He said the balance of the cash would be used for beautification projects to be determined by the settlers themselves.

""All the 317 settlements in the country are eligible to take part in the inaugural competition.“They have about nine months from now to prepare and beautify their settlements.

“A panel of independent judges comprising professionals and individuals will be appointed to choose the winning settlement,” he said, after opening the Felda settlements rejuvenation programme in Felda Chini Timur 3 near here Thursday. “The winning settlement will be announced on July 7 next year in conjunction with the Settlers’ Day celebrations,” he said, adding that the competition would be made into an annual affair.

Najib said that for a start, Felda would be allocating RM10 per to kick start the settlements’ beautification programmes nationwide.

He said the settlers on their part would have to fork out RM5 per month, making it a grand total of about RM1.7mil a month.

“We hope this programme will change the image of Felda schemes and make them a role model for rural areas,” he said.

Najib also said that only 5% of the settlers were still living in deplorable housing conditions.

“I want all settlers to have comfortable houses by he end of this year,” he said, adding that a RM40,000 loan would be given to settlers to renovate their houses.

Najib said for the poor and the sick, Felda would give them a grant of RM10,000 to lessen their urden.

He also said the Government had plans to Felda settlements such as a better rubbish disposal system and had allocated RM10.5mil to install street lighting.