Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi must deliver swift and tangible results in his new role overseeing Felda affairs to win back settlers’ support for the party, an analyst says.
Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya stated that the sharp decline in support for Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN) during the 15th general election (GE15) was not primarily due to Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) strength or an ideological shift among voters. Instead, it stemmed from widespread disappointment.
He said this disillusionment was fuelled by economic pressures like the rising cost of living, coupled with a perception that Umno had become too elitist and detached from the realities of settlers’ lives.
A Path to Reclaiming Support
“If Zahid can deliver immediate, felt outcomes for settlers and rebuild grassroots trust, BN still has a chance to reclaim a significant number of Felda seats in the next general election,” Awang Azman told FMT.
“There must be concrete action to raise incomes, ensure administrative transparency and maintain a consistent presence on the ground to resolve issues such as land matters and the needs of the second generation of Felda settlers,” he added.
At Umno’s recent general assembly, Zahid announced he had been tasked with overseeing Felda and FGV Holdings Bhd. Supreme Council member Ahmad Maslan was appointed as his deputy in this responsibility.
The deputy prime minister also holds the rural and regional development portfolio, while Ahmad serves as the deputy works minister. Felda was previously under the regulatory division of the Prime Minister’s Department.
GE15 Results in Felda Areas
After GE15, a report by Persatuan Anak Peneroka Felda Kebangsaan showed that PN had successfully breached BN’s traditional stronghold in Felda areas.
The results indicated that one in three parliamentary seats won by PN contained Felda settlements. This accounted for roughly 35% of the coalition’s total of 73 seats secured by PAS and Bersatu.
PN won 26 of the 54 parliamentary seats with Felda areas, with PAS securing 16 and Bersatu 10. BN, which won 30 parliamentary seats overall in GE15, lost 12 Felda seats, managing victories in only 16 such constituencies.
Shift in Support Was Gradual
Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said support for BN in Felda areas did not “disappear overnight”. He explained that it gradually shifted as BN’s rivals strengthened their ground operations, particularly after the 14th general election.
“BN may have erred in assuming that Felda settlers would always support them, so little attention was paid when the opposition began gaining a foothold in Felda areas,” Azmi said.
“The opposition capitalised on the narrative that the government at the time was not properly safeguarding settlers’ interests,” he added.
