The strain in relationship between Malaysia and Indonesia was caused by the existence of a third party that had hoped to promote an agenda to benefit politically, Foreign Minister Anifah

Aman told the Dewan Rakyat today.

foreign minister anifah aman Anifah said after realising the existence (third party), both government's are monitoring their action.

"The third party is trying to blow up or hype minor issues to promote their agenda for their own political benefit.

"We are monitoring the situation and specific action is being taken," he said.

Anifah said Indonesia has also informed Malaysia of the existence of the third party who is trying to take advantage of any situation.

The minister was responding to Idris Haron (BN-Batu Tangga).

Idris had wanted to know if there were people in the country who were trying to create animosity between the two countries by raising issues like the pendet dance, Ambalat, abuse of foreign maids and Manohara Odelia Pinot (former wife of a Kelantan royalty).

No land offers for new Felda settlers

In another development, the Dewan Rakyat was told that no state government has come forward in the last three years with any offer of land for new settlers of the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda).

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Ahmad Maslan said the federal government was still waiting for such land after Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had announced in 2006, when he was the deputy primeminister then, that Felda planned to recruit new settlers provided the state governments gave the land to the eligible people, particularly the hardcore poor.

He was replying to a supplementary question from Mohd Jidin Shafee (BN-Setiu) who had wanted to know whether the government planned to carry out recruitment of new settlers which was frozen in 1990.

On the question of whether the government had any intention of requiring receivers of land titles to take an oath of loyalty, Ahmad said 85 percent of settlers supported the government.

Replying to the original question from Mohd Jidin, he said 73,807 of the 112,635 Felda settlers had received titles to their land.

"This is 65 percent of the total number. Over the last five years from 2004, some 9,262 settlers have received land titles," he said, adding that 3,066 of them were from Pahang, 3,535 (Johor), 688 (Negeri Sembilan), 264 (Selangor) 190 (Perak), 133 (Kelantan) and 1,386 (Terengganu). - Bernama