As singers Yabang Khalifah and Mohd Khairil Sabri (popularly known as Ayie Lantana) took to the stage yesterday, it was clear that this was the beginning of something special.
Those who attended the ‘Karnival Segalanya Felda’, which began on July 12 at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) in Selangor, had been enjoying the mega carnival, filled with food, fun, and games.
But when the duo sang the theme song for the carnival yesterday (July 14), in front of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, his deputy Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Malaysia’s Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, and the Felda settlers in the packed hall, it was clear that the event held a bigger, deeper significance.
The powerful lyrics, made sweeter by the band and choir comprising Felda settlers, and the montage – with black and white pictures of yesteryears that documented Felda’s evolution – moved many.
The sacrifices of ‘ayah’ (father) as mentioned throughout the song, paid tribute to the first generation of settlers, and more importantly, to the man who conceived Felda – former prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein.
It even got Anwar reminiscing in his speech, about the time when he was in primary school, and a family member was given the opportunity to go to a Felda settlement in Pahang.
Felda managed to pull off the massive three-day carnival with just barely five months of planning. For some within the organisation, this was unfamiliar and unprecedented. However, the success over the weekend will certainly spur those in Menara Felda, located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, to start planning big, while exploring new opportunities.
Hundreds of thousands of visitors, namely Felda settlers from various settlements nationwide, and members of the public flocked the many halls in MAEPS, located just outside Kuala Lumpur. It was a new way of celebrating the annual Hari Peneroka (Settlers’ Day), which traditionally, was a one-day affair.
Several events at the carnival were inked in the Malaysia Book of Records. They included Most Speakers in an Enrichment Talk Programme, Most Locations In A Simultaneous Fun Walk Programme (148), Most Number of Participants in a Table Tennis Competition (1,297 participants), and Most Number of Two Wheels Gathered (58,697 motorcycles).
The carnival showcased various Felda products – those by the settlers and the company’s subsidiaries – but the launch gimmick, featuring an electric-powered truck, was perhaps a sneak peek into the future that the company is eyeing.
Reducing carbon footprint while turning waste into biomass energy is high on Ahmad Shabery’s list of priorities. He insists that the move will generate a new source of income for the settlers. It is also in line with the nation’s vision of creating clean energy sources, especially in light of the recent plans by major multinationals to set up data centres and their operations in Malaysia.
Already, the new generation of Felda settlers are embracing new technologies – evident from the widespread use of eWallets, to using social media as marketing tools.
The carnival has set a new benchmark for Felda to sell itself to Malaysia, and the world. From its humble beginnings to its push into new, sustainable income streams and high-tech applications, Felda has certainly come a long way. This marks the beginning of more things to come.
