Felda Kg. Cahaya Baru settlers: No payment, no deal

Some three hundred and seventy-seven Felda settlers in Kampong Cahaya Baru, Masai are not relenting in their demands that the developer, Cahaya Baru Development Berhad (CBDB) to pay them the balance of RM1.2 million as promised to each settler for the sale of their land.

Settler Hashim Tukiman ,42, said that the settlers are not satisfied with the outcome of the recent meeting held on April 1 between the settlers, the developer, the developer’s representative and the state assemblyman for Tiram, Maulizan Bujang, who is representing the state government.

He said that the settlers were expecting that the issue of the balance payment can be resolved during the meeting but it turns out to be only a land development briefing session and the issue of the promised balance payment was not mention at all.

Hashim added that the settlers took offence on the remark made by the state assemblyman for Tiram in blaming the settlers for not referring to the state government prior to the sale of their land.

We thought the presence of the state assemblyman for Tiram is to assist us in resolving this eighteen years issue but instead he put the entire blame on us, he said.

Hashim said, the settlers were promised RM1.2 million each for our land but to date we only received RM250,000 and this is cheating.

Abshah Ahmad, 47, another affected settler said that the settlers made the effort to attend the meeting and were hoping that the developer will make the announcement to pay us but to our utter disappointment the developer only briefed us on their development plan.

He reiterated that the settlers will not allow any development to their land until and unless the developer agrees to pay us the balance of the promised amount.