Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi called for a forensic audit on the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) to uncover any abuse of power, breach of trust, or governance failures. He made the appeal today at the World Islamic Tourism & Trade Expo (WITEX) in Kuala Lumpur, stressing that a management audit alone would be insufficient given FELDA’s serious long-standing problems and losses amounting to about RM9 billion [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].

Zahid said, “What is important is that it should not only involve a management audit, but a forensic audit must also be conducted,” highlighting the scale of the financial losses. He added, “The RM9 billion in losses cannot be tolerated.” The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that any investigation should avoid victimizing, humiliating, or oppressing individuals. “Those responsible must, of course, be brought to court if there is strong evidence. But there should be no injustice or attempt to humiliate any individual,” he said [1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7].

Zahid also underlined the need to protect the welfare of FELDA’s 225,000 settlers and the wider FELDA community, which spans up to five generations and includes about 1.8 million people. "We must look after them so that the interests and welfare of the Felda community continue to be properly safeguarded by the government," he said [1, 3, 4, 5, 6].

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stated on August 21 that a special task force investigating FELDA’s management issues has begun work. He said the findings are expected soon and will be made public. Anwar noted FELDA is burdened with nearly RM10 billion in debts and losses following years of mismanagement and excessive political interference [1, 3, 4, 6, 7].

The government currently pays about RM980 million annually to cover FELDA's financial obligations stemming from past losses. Anwar noted that the former FELDA chairman has served his sentence, and the investigation’s responsibility now lies with the Prime Minister’s office [3, 5, 7].

Zahid’s call for a comprehensive forensic audit comes amid mounting pressure for transparency and accountability. The special task force’s report, expected soon, will be crucial to determining the next steps in addressing FELDA’s financial and governance challenges.