Najib wants to continue Tun Razak's legacy of helping the rural community

PEKAN: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak aspires to continue the legacy of the late Tun Abdul Razak by continuing to fight for the causes of the rural communities, including settlers.
Najib said he wanted to continue the legacy as a whole because the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) and the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) were very close to the heart of his late father, the country's second prime minister.
"There is no other leader in this country who has the model of a settler's house in front of his own house at Seri Taman, and even before he (Tun Razak) passed away, he had asked that the model of the house be maintained as a reminder to all parties, including myself that Felda and rural development were the basis of the struggles of Tun Abdul Razak.
"Hence as the next generation, we are obliged to continue his struggles, I know not only should we pray for his soul, but he also wanted these struggles to remain and not be buried.
"On the contrary, these (struggles) should continue to be carried out today and in future and, for this, we must plan additional programmes as the world has changed, the world of the 60s and 70s is no longer the same today.
"The situation many change but the spirit and value of our struggles do not change at all, instead we make it our goal to continue with these struggles," he said when launching the national level Reducing Grocery Bills (Jimat Belanja Dapur) programme in Bandar Dara Chini, here today.
Also present at the event were Fama chairman Tan Sri Badruddin Amiruldin, State Rural Development, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Committee chairman Datuk Seri Shafik Fauzan Sharif and State Felda Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Harun.
To continue improving the fate of the Felda community, he said the government forged good ties with the governments of China and India to market the country's palm oil products.
"If China buys RM1.3 billion worth of palm oil, India RM1 billion, the price of palm oil will continue to rise and who are happy ... certainly the Felda community for having more income.
"But if we hear what the opposition say, we are going to cancel the contract with China and if that is done, then that country will not buy palm oil from Malaysia again.
"If that happens, then the price of palm oil will drop and affect the settlers but, under my leadership, the government will continue this struggle and, as such, we must continue to support the BN government," he said.
Najib, who is also Pekan MP, said the situation was far different from that of an 'expired' leader who previously administered the country and had never considered the fate of the rural community.
"I have been working long under him, so I know his behaviour ... I can read it one by one, he never intended to help the rural people, not that I want to say but what I am doing now is far better than that leader."
Based on the records, he said the current government had provided more incentives to the settlers and the Muda Agricultural Development Authority had also been allocated RM2.7 billion for the period, 2011 to 2020 to develop irrigation systems.
"In fact, never in the history of farmers had they receive monthly payments of RM200 for three months while waiting for padi harvesting and even the fishermen also receive incentives," he added. — Bernama