Forensic Audit Needed To Probe FELDA Issue - Ahmad Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 (Bernama) -- A forensic audit should be carried out to determine whether there has been any abuse of power, breach of trust or governance lapses in the management of the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA).

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said a management audit alone would be insufficient, given that issues involving the agency had persisted for a long time and resulted in losses amounting to billions of ringgit.

“FELDA is facing very serious and long-standing problems. The RM9 billion in losses cannot be tolerated,” he told reporters after officiating the Ministers and Chief Executive Officers Summit in conjunction with the World Islamic Tourism & Trade Expo (WITEX) 2026 at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) here today.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said this when asked about his support for the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate FELDA.

He stressed that those responsible should be brought to justice if there is solid evidence, but the investigation should not be used to victimise or humiliate any individual.

He also said that the government would continue to protect the interests and well-being of 225,000 FELDA settlers and the wider FELDA community spanning the first to fifth generations, involving about 1.8 million people in total.

Last Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he would await the full report of the Special Task Force investigating FELDA’s management issues before making any official announcement.

Anwar said the special task force had begun its work, and its findings were expected to be presented in the near future before being made public, similar to the RCI report on Lembaga Tabung Haji.

-- BERNAMA