Pakatan Rakyat adviser Zaid Ibrahim today slammed Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Ahmad Maslan for failing to justify the plunge in the Federal Land Development Authority’s (Felda) cash reserves.

However, he said, it was Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak who should have been accountable enough to answer himself, as it was a matter of public accountability and taxpayers' money.

NONE According to Zaid ( right ), Ahmad’s explanation of the RM 2.73 billion drop in reserves was riddled with holes, for he did not give details as to how the money was spent.

In fact, he said, the deputy minister’s answer to Hamim Samsuri (BN-Ledang) in Parliament on Wednesday only proved that he “knows very little about Felda”.

“He failed to explain what returns Felda may gain through its investments, instead of using the money for a shopping spree and for ‘welfare purposes’,” Zaid said in a statement today.

The PKR supreme council member questioned in particular the RM2 billion that was spent on replanting crops, noting that this was a “huge sum”.

He said that instead of just stating the figure spent, the deputy minister was obliged to provide full information, as the replanting was paid with taxpayers’ money.

“The deputy minister should detail in full the allocation of RM2 billion: the number of settlers involved, land area, if this includes subsistence and income advance to the settlers in the programme and whether proper replanting standards were put in place,” he said.

Felda bankrolling BN state governments?

Zaid also zeroed in on the RM253 million spent on poverty eradication in Sabah, of which details are also absent.

“Did the money go directly to the poor settlers, or was it channelled to the Sabah state government, which is strapped for cash?

“If this is considered ‘public welfare’, we must wonder if Felda’s statutory duty includes helping out a BN state government that is short of cash,” he said.

Another cause for concern, he pointed out, was the 40 percent deposit paid to Naza TTDI for Felda’s new headquarters - 30 percent more than normal.

Similarly, Zaid also demanded an explanation as to how RM4 to 5 million was spent on futsal competitions and the Felda Football Club.

“To put it in some perspective, most national football associations have spent less on their national football teams, including those that have gone on to quality for the World Cup,” he said.

The ministry should also be held accountable for the closure of Felda subsidiaries over the past five years, such as Felda Rubber and Felda Herbal, for which reasons were not given.

“I call upon Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to relinquish his hold on Felda and let the organisation be managed professionally and in a transparent manner,” he added.