Umno has expressed concern over pressure from certain quarters to open up Felda settlers’ schemes as well as admission to Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM)  to all races.

The party’s strategic communications unit in a statement said that at the same time, there was such a move for new villages and Chinese and Indian education institutes to be more "inclusive".

"Their (Malays’) rights on Felda do not need to be questioned. It is worth noting that the mandatory condition of becoming a settler is that one is poor and does not own any land in his or her own village, and the Felda land is the only one they have.

"Let Felda remain the right of the Malay community, as does the existence of new villages for the Chinese community. It should be remembered, that in the Pakatan Harapan government’s goal to create a 'Malaysian Malaysia', the rights of the people in this multi-racial country should be respected," the statement said.

The Malay community, added the statement, had sacrificed much of their rights previously, including allowing a 10 percent quota for non-Malay students at Mara Junior Science Colleges (MRSMs).

Meanwhile, Umno in the same statement thanked the government for giving Aidilfitri bonuses to all Felda and Felcra settlers, as announced by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in a press conference Wednesday.

- Bernama