Pahang's 1955 election manifesto is the basis for the formation of Felda Land Settlement Programme

IN AN INTERVIEW... Dato' Khairuddin explaining something to Dato' Zainuddin Jumaat (extreme left) who took note.

Editor's Note:

On Thursday morning, 21^st January, the Editor with a friend who is also the former state assemblyman Dato Zainuddin Jumaat, had the opportunity to visit and interview the ex-speaker for the Pahang State Assembly, Dato' Khairuddin Mohd Kawi in Jerantut. The visit and interview revealed a lot about the state history that included the importance of the relationship between the Alliance's (Perikatan) manifesto of the 1955 election (the first general election for the country) led by UMNO and the formation of the Federal Land Development Authority (LKTP) or now better known as Felda.

Dato' Khairuddin, 82, an UMNO veteran who was also a former state exco and assemblyman, is certainly qualified to be an authoritative figure for matters relating to the state's administration history especially during the era of Pahang's legendary leader, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, the country's and the state's number one leader at that time.

The following is the result of the visit and interview. May we benefit from it together.

kamarSUA, WISMA SRI PAHANG, KUANTAN - Today, if settlers and their family members are thankful and appreciative for the efforts made by our former Prime Minister, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, for developing Felda settlements throughout the country, part of the appreciation should go to Pahang UMNO.

This is due to the fact that it was through the state's UMNO manifesto in the 1955 general election that the land development agency - Felda or originally LKTP (Federal Land Development Authority) was formed and then followed by the development of various land settlement programmes.

The manifesto contained 47 subjects and one of it was the promise made by the Alliance, led by UMNO at that time, to develop a large scale land development programme that the people will have a chance to own it later.

THIS IS WHERE YOU BELONG... Dato' Khairuddin trying to emphasise what had been summoned by the then Sultan of Pahang, the KDYMM Sultan Abu Bakar, to all the potential LKTP settlers hailed from outside Pahang using the Malay proverb - "Wherever the ground is stood on, the sky is held high". (Equivalent to: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.)

This story was told by the former speaker for the State Assembly, UMNO veteran Dato' Khairuddin Mohd Kawi, during an interview at a rest house in Jerantut on Thursday morning, January 21^st.

According to him, prior to that, each state UMNO was instructed by the late Dato' (his salutation at that time) Abdul Razak, who was also UMNO's deputy chief for Malaya and chairman for Malaya UMNO Manifesto Committee, to formulate its own manifesto to face the first general election in 1955.

SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF

"There were 47 subjects in the manifesto. (Among them) something related to changing the state's formation law, changing the federal constitution, Islam as the official religion - a standardisation for all states since it is the prerogative of each state.

"And then administration (issues) that included well-planned large scale opening of land settlement programmes to be given to the people. The well-managed programme was to provide security to the lives of the people.

"That's what he took (and made part of the Alliance's manifesto that was completed in December 1954). Hah, that made Pahang extremely proud," said Dato' Khairuddin who was appointed secretary of the Manifesto Committee chaired by the late Dato' Kurnia Bistari Abdul Aziz Ahmad or simply known as Pak Ngah Aziz, who was also the then Pahang UMNO chairman.

Without a hitch, Dato' Khairuddin who sat in the committee as a journalist and the state representative for Utusan Melayu daily, cited the names of the manifesto committee members one by one.

They were Zainuddin Ahmad, Mahimon Harun, Ibrahim Arshad, Salehuddin Awang Pekan, Badariah Nordin, Yeop Sendiri Husin, Abdul Rahman Ismail, Sulung Ali, Wan Ibrahim Wan Tanjung and Kassim Mohd Amin who was also the father-in-law to the current Menteri Besar, Dato' Sri Adnan Yaakob.

THE LATE TUN ABDUL RAZAK OFICIATING THE KUANTAN UMNO DIVISON MEETING...

THE COLONISTS OPENED ESTATES, WE OPENED FELDA

The root of the discussion by the manifesto committee was realising how difficult it was for the people to own a land under the British colonial that ruled the country and the states.

"Some (only) own an acre of land that has to be shared amongst many siblings. If divided, how many feet (square feet) would each get? How would they survive?

"So, we arranged a comprehensive well-planned and well-organised programme. Just like how the British colonised us by opening up big estates. But we do this for our own people with well-structured relocation places," said Dato' Khairuddin.

What made them proud, he added, was what the late Dato' Abdul Razak said during his tour to visit state UMNO to gather information about their manifesto: "I would like to praise my own state. Pahang owns large size of land, aplenty. There are not many people in Pahang (only approximately 500,000). It's not that we don't take (proposed manifesto) from all the states but Pahang obviously has bigger scope for all the people."

THE SULTAN OF PAHANG CONSENTED, THE LAND DIVIDED

"And he (the late Dato' Abdul Razak) said his supreme, the Sultan of Pahang, had also consented to the land in Pahang to be segregated (conferred) as ownership for the Malays from outside Pahang who are willing to reside in Pahang in order to participate in the planned land development programme," said Dato' Khairuddin, reflecting the good relationship between the late Dato' Abdul Razak and the then Sultan of Pahang.

SHAKING HANDS BEFORE OFFICIATING THE KUANTAN UMNO DIVISION BUILDING...

(The late Dato' Abdul Razak, who had just returned home upon completing his law education in London, had been conferred the title of Orang Kaya Indera Shahbandar in May, 1950 by the KDYMM Sultan of Pahang, Sultan Abu Bakar).

Thus, the effort to develop a large scale land development programme as suggested by the Pahang UMNO for the 1955 general election campaign became part of the manifesto by the Alliance at that time.

As we know, the inaugural general election was very important to the Alliance because only a big victory would strengthened our claim for independence from the British and to form the Federation of Malaya.

Armed with the 47-subject manifesto, the Alliance especially UMNO entered the election by putting three (3) candidates to contest for the Federal Legislative Council (or now called Parliamentary area) and 16 (14 from UMNO and 2 from MCA) for the State Legislative Council (or now called State Assembly).

THE PROPOSED LAND OPENING CONTRIBUTED VICTORY TO THE FIRST GENERAL ELECTION

Also contested was the late Dato' Abdul Razak himself at the constituent of Semantan Federal Legislative Council (covering the districts of Temerloh and Bentong). In addition, the late Dato' Abdul Rahman Talib contested at the constituent of East Pahang Federal Legislative Council (covering the districts of Kuantan and Pekan) and the late Sulung Ali contested at the constituent of North Pahang Federal Legislative Council (covering the districts of Lipis, Jerantut, Raub and Cameron Highlands).

At the State Legislative Council level, among those who contested were the then chairman of Pahang UMNO, the late Dato' Yahya Mohd Seh in Central Temerloh; the late Pak Ngah Aziz in Kuantan; the then state UMNO Youth head, the late Zainuddin Ahmad in West Kuantan; and Dato' Khairuddin himself in West Kuala Lipis.

SIMPLE AND EASY... These were some of the guests at the officiating ceremony of the Kuantan Division UMNO Building officiated by the late Tun Abdul Razak.

Look at how simple the facility was - without even a canopy at a ceremony that was attended by the country's top leaders during that time.

At the 27^th July 1955 general election, the Alliance swept all the contested seats - three (3) seats under the Federal Legislative Council and 16 seats under the State Legislative Council, of which seven (7) seats were won uncontested. It was a huge victory for the coalition of various political parties that used the yacht symbol.

"Apart from the high national spirit (aiming for the country's independence), the manifesto (Pahang UMNO was the one proposing for the large scale land development programme), among others was one of the contributors to the grand victory," admitted Dato Khairuddin,

HESITANCE FOR CANDIDACY

Even before that, the effort to choose a candidate for the Alliance among UMNO members was not easy. Unlike today, then everyone refused to be nominated.

And for those who were selected as candidates, they were expected to do a lot of sacrifices in all aspects including money. From the income point of view, some of them who had already earned high income were willing to sacrifice to become a candidate with monthly allowance of merely around RM250 for State Legislative Council and RM750 for Federal Legislative Council.

"Sulong (the Alliance's candidate for North Pahang Federal Legislative Council) was a high spirited person and the people wanted him - the UMNO members and the overall voters. He (then) was an Agriculture Officer for the District of Lipis, earning more than RM1,000.

"As for me, during the first general election, Utusan has already paid me RM380 (a month). But as a member of the State Legislative Council, I received monthly allowance of RM250 or less. But (accepted) due to high spirit (to achieve independence)," Dato' Khairuddin added.

After the 1955 general election, efforts were continuously taken to realise the formation of LKTP and the land settlements and even though it was not easy, efforts were undertaken towards that.

Wherever the ground is stood on, the sky is held high

The KDYMM Sultan of Pahang, Sultan Abu Bakar, in his royal address in December 1957 about the state budget for 1958, touched on the land development programme.

"I would be happy to accept if there are Malays from the other Malay states, outside of Pahang, who are interested to become the people of Pahang and join this LKTP programme. I would gladly accept them.

"However, under one condition, they must follow - as usual the customs, the law of Pahang as the proverb 'wherever the ground is stood on, the sky is held high' (equivalent to: when in Rome, do as the Romans do)," said Dato' Khairuddin quoting the royal address.

After the 1959 general election, he said, Dato' Abdul Razak formed the Ministry of National and Rural Development and one year later, the first LKTP land settlement  programme was implemented in Lurah Bilut, Bentong.

Dato' Khairuddin was appointed by the late Dato' Abdul Razak as a visiting committee member and an advisor to LKTP Lurah Bilut. Thus, he dealt a lot with the then Bentong's District Officer, Aziz Yassin who was also an elder brother to the current Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

THERE ARE SETTLERS WHO LEFT

At that time, 45 people were selected as settlers for the settlement programme with half of them being of Pahang origin. The group was made up by those who either do not own any land or even if they do, their land ownership was not more than half an acre.

However, many of them left especially those who hailed from the districts of Kuantan and Pekan, and this annoyed the late Dato' Abdul Razak.

"Some were related to Pak Ngah Aziz. Pak Ngah Aziz was very angry. He didn't know that his relatives had left. Even when they went back, they still don't have any land. This was due to insufficient explanation," he said.

And based on Dato' Khairuddin's general observation, during that time, the most that a person can own in the form of land ownership in the state was two (2) acres.

On the Lurah Bilut LKTP, the late Dato' Abdul Razak, in every meeting with the state Government staffs, would emphasise on the importance of the project - being the role model for LKTP. It must not fail and should be a complete success.

CENTRAL JENGKA AS THE TOWN FOR NEW MALAY

"After the LKTP Lurah Bilut, he wanted (in order for LKTP to be created) a settlement to be named as the Jengka Triangle, starting with three pilot projects in Sungai Tekam, Kampung Awah and Hulu Jempol.

"When the 24 was completed, the late Dato' Abdul Razak was satisfied because it was in accordance to the contour and land plan; and then only he wrote to the World Bank to apply for a loan to open 24 LKTP schemes in the Jengka Triangle," he said.

"Today, the result is the Jengka Town Centre, moulded as per the requirements of the late Dato' Abdul Razak: a new Malay town," he proudly said. And the rest are what people call - history.

Today, after almost five decades that the LKTP or Felda made its first debut in LKTP or Felda Lurah Bilut, Pahang can be proud for being the place (where the land of the size of 185,380 hectares or equivalent to the sizes of Penang and Perlis combined) where the LKTP land settlement or Felda first started. -DM

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