The High Court in Kuantan has dismissed a claim for fraud and breach of trust by more than 700 settlers against the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda).

Justice Mariana Yahya also ordered the settlers pay RM300,000 in costs to Felda.

In dismissing the RM422 million claim, the court found that the claim was not proven and time-barred.

The court further held that the settlers had failed to prove they have the locus standi (legal standing) to initiate the suit.

The settlers were represented by lawyers R Sivarasa and Shahid Adli Kamarudin.

Initially a total of 770 settlers filed the suit but now it stood at 571 after some left the settlement and others passed away. They are from Felda Chini and Felda Chini Timur, close to Pekan in Pahang.

It was reported that the settlers filed the suit in April 2012, claiming that Felda and Felda Palm Industries Sdn Bhd had cheated them on the grade of their oil palm fruits, which they claimed was lower than it should be, for the past 17 years.

When contacted, Shahid told Malaysiakini that Justice Mariana took more than two hours to deliver her decision and decide on the costs.

He said Felda lawyers from the firm of Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak sought RM5,000 as costs from each of the 571 settlers. That would have amounted to RM2.86 million.

However, Justice Mariana reduced the award to RM300,000.

In the suit, the settlers claimed that oil extraction rate yield was graded an average of 18.5 percent.

However, random tests commissioned by the independent laboratories by settlers in Jengka, Pahang found the oil extraction rate showed an average of 27 percent, making it 8.5 percent more.

According to Sivarasa, settlers claimed that Felda had caused a loss of RM257.60 per tonne from the unaccounted 8.5 per cent which works out to about RM30,912 per settler in 2008 alone.