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II. NATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
[ II | II-A
| II-B | II-C | II-D
| II-E | II-F | II-G
]
E. Ministry
of Land and Cooperative Development
The mission of the Ministry of Land and Cooperative Development is to ensure
that the management and development of land, as well as surveying and mapping
services and the development of cooperative movements are stable and dynamic
in seeking to optimize the utilization of land and the distribution of
national wealth in a fair manner, in order to ensure the improvement of
the socio-economic status and well-being of the population.
The main objectives of the Ministry is the establishment of a policy
on the management and development of land, surveying and mapping systems
and a quality cooperative movement. The main responsibilities of the Ministry
are: land surveying, mapping, cooperative development, land management
policy and land development
Federal Land Development
Authority
FELDA, which was established on 1 July 1956 under the Land
Development Ordinance, is governed by a board responsible to the Minister
of Land and Cooperative Development. The original FELDA objective was to
develop forest land for agriculture and resettlement of the rural poor.
Since the final intake of settlers in 1989, its objective has shifted towards
a corporatization strategy for improving the quality of life among the
settlers through dedicated and efficient management, and the development
of a competitive industry through increased productivity.
The management of FELDA is structured along functional lines, i.e.,
smallholdings, plantations and manufacturing. In the past, the smallholdings
were dependent on government funding in the form of grants and loans. However,
it is now working towards financial independence in line with the Smallholdings
Division, which administers the agricultural, social and economic activities
of the settlers' smallholdings, and the Plantation Division, which operates
under a limited company, FELDA Plantations
Sdn Bhd. Its primary function is to manage 217 plantations comprising 363,583
ha as commercial estates. The Manufacturing Division comprises 12 corporations
and 10 companies. Their operations, both upstream and downstream activities,
add value to agricultural produce. Most of the FELDA factories are located
in Malaysia, but FELDA has also established ventures in China, Egypt and
Pakistan.
The Agricultural
Services Corporation of FELDA, established in 1978, is responsible for
agricultural research, the supply of planting materials, and the provision
of technical and advisory services to FELDA and other agencies requiring
assistance. The activities of the Agricultural Services Corporation include
research into the breeding of clones, the agronomic aspects in terms of
fertilizer use and research into pest and disease controls.
The research and advisory services of FELDA focus mainly on the settlers,
the process of transferring technology and development through several
means: research bulletins, settler-research contacts, and seminars and
conferences. Supplying new hybrids and clones to settlers and other agencies
is usually free or for a nominal fee. Relevant units of FELDA are also
responsible for providing information on processing technologies and marketing
materials.
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