Fatin Nabilah Mohd Suhairi, Arfah Rosli, and Nur Syahirah Abdul Rahim are among the brightest minds from Felda Lepar Hilir 3, a Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) scheme in Gambang, Pahang.
The best friends, aged 23, travelled some 200km to ‘Karnival Segalanya Felda’ held at Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) in Selangor, over the weekend (July 14).
While those living in such schemes may move to larger cities to earn a living, the three preferred being close to their families, while contributing to the land authority and their community.
Fatin, a Mathematical Science graduate from the International Islamic University Malaysia is looking for a job.
The youngest of three siblings, Fatin, a high achiever since young, scored 4As in her UPSR, 11As for PT3, and 8As for SPM. She is looking for opportunities where her qualifications could be tapped by Felda.
With biomass energy and the introduction of new technologies on Felda’s radar, the former student of Asrama Semai Bakti Felda is eager to be a part of Felda’s future plans.
“It will be good if there is a programme where young graduates like me can secure jobs with Felda, and at the same time, help our scheme,” Fatin said.
“Felda has helped my grandparents and parents over the years. It is time we (the younger generation) give back,” she added, drawing inspiration from her 32-year-old brother, a magistrate in Terengganu.
Fatin, however, admitted that there were perennial problems that needed to be addressed, especially those affecting the youth in Felda schemes.
“There are those who do not see the importance of pursuing tertiary education. I hope this will change,” said Fatin, who majored in Financial Mathematics, and minored in Business Administration.
Arfah Rosli is a Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) graduate from Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Dato’ Razali Ismail in Kuala Terengganu.
She is currently waiting for her teacher’s posting. Her father, 61-year-old Rosli Samad, is the chief settler of Felda Lepar Hilir 3.
Just like Fatin, Arfah is also a high achiever, having scored 5As for UPSR, 7As for PT3, and 5As for SPM. She shared that her love for English started during her primary school days in SK Lepar Hilir 3.
“I loved how my then English teacher taught the language. I studied hard as I knew mastering English would help me if I travelled abroad,” Arfah said.
The youngest of five, Arfah, whose siblings include a teacher, land surveyor, and a businessman, said her parents had always emphasised the importance of education.
“English is important and I would love it if I am able to teach English to the young living in Felda schemes,” said Arfah, who completed her secondary education at SMK Alor Akar.
“The youths of today love technology, and I would like to fuse technology with English, to make the young in Felda love the language,” she added.
The duo’s other friend, Nur Syahirah Abdul Rahim, is a second-year Finance undergraduate at Universiti Teknologi Mara Segamat, in Johor.
“My grandparents and parents are Felda settlers. As a true-blue Felda girl, my friends, who are not part of these schemes, are often excited when I tell them about the activities, including sporting and community events, that take place in our scheme,” said Nur Syahirah.
“Previously, people thought Felda was just about oil palm and rubber. However, there are many things, including entrepreneurship and hospitality, that Felda is involved in.”
She said while she had reservations at first in attending ‘Karnival Segalanya Felda’ as she had exams coming up, she changed her mind upon seeing Instagram-stories posted by her friends.
“I am glad I attended the event. There were also knowledge-sharing sessions, and we learnt about the other businesses that Felda is involved in.
“I hope I too, can one day be a part of the very many ventures that Felda is involved in,” she said.
Main image: (From left) Fatin, Nur Syahirah and Arfah.
