I am writing on behalf of the settlers at Felda Sungai Buaya. Currently there are about 300 families residing at this Felda scheme which began in 1960. Each family was given about 425 acres and 4,845 acres of land for housing and agricultural activities respectively.

Over the years, the settlers ( peneroka ) of this Felda scheme lived moderately by cultivating rubber trees in their designated land areas with the assistance of Felda. In 1986, land titles were given progressively to settlers depending on individual remittance of development fees to Felda.

By 1990 almost all the settlers were proud owners of their land.

The settlers lived peacefully and moderately until 1990, when a developer offered to purchase their agricultural land and also land where their houses were situated for a massive real estate development project.

The promised purchase price would make each peneroka an instant millionaire. The settlers found the offer too much to resist and agreed to sell their land, which had been their life and soul for decades.

With the advice of the developer and others, the residents formed a company that would represent all residents in all transactions related to the sale and purchase of their land. The company would also handle all payments to the settlers from the developer.

Agreements to sell their land were signed in 1994 and each resident was also given 1,000 shares of the company. The first phase only affected their agricultural land and the residents still maintained their houses in the settlement.

According to the agreement, payment for the land was to have been paid progressively over four years and would have been completed by the year 1998.

However, now, six years after the agreement was signed, only about 30 percent of total payment has been made. The reasons given for this are many including non-payment from the developer and the economic crisis.

Some of the directors of the company, who were once Felda settlers themselves, still reside in their lavishly renovated homes in the area with luxury cars in the compound while few other directors have fled elsewhere.

Demands for explanations from other residents were either not entertained or they were told to wait for an announcement by post.

The residents then sought the assistance of the member of parliament, state assemblymen and even the then Menteri Besar but none of them helped in taking up the cause. The residents suspect that people in the high places are involved in what they perceive to be an attempt to deceive them.

TV3 even highlighted the issue on their Buletin Utama news back in 1997.

Several meetings held by this company with the residents resulted in heated exchanges between the residents and the directors (ex-settlers).

The latest meeting a few months ago ended abruptly with the police arriving at the scene to calm down the situation. A crew from a local television channel were also there to cover the event and they even interviewed many of the affected settlers but strangely, this was never aired.

The settlers also attempted to hire lawyers to take this issue to the courts but this proved too costly and some lawyers hesitated to take up the case.

Many residents are struggling to make ends meet with only small plots of land left behind their houses for agricultural activities. Most of the residents are already too old to work and depend on their children.

The residents have exhausted all avenues and can only hope that justice will prevail one day but many worry that they may not be alive to see it happen or benefit from the sale of their precious land.

They hope that the authorities, especially the state government, and the developer will look into their plight as they have been unjustly treated and manipulated.