Far from Facebook, Malaysian Farmers Fear Their Own IPO

June 27, 2012 from Al Jazeera English

The Federal Land Development Authority, or FELDA, is a Malaysian government agency and the world's largest plantation operator. Since the 1950s, FELDA has given more than a million "settlers" land to farm cash crops, but now the business is being privatized. With shares of FELDA trading for the first time Thursday, worries are surfacing among the settlers about what the IPO will mean for them.

(more) (less)

In This Video

Federal Land Development Authority

The Federal Land Development Authority is a Malaysian government agency initially founded to handle the resettlement of rural poor into newly developed areas and to organize smallholder farms growing cash crops. As of the 1990s, it no longer establishes new settlements, but en... Explore this topic

Malaysia

Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia. It consists of thirteen states and three federal territories and has a total landmass of 329,847 square kilometres separated by the South China Sea into two similarly sized regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Malays... Explore this topic

Cash crop

A cash crop is an agricultural crop which is grown for sale, for profit. It is typically purchased by parties separate from a farm. The term cash crop is applied exclusively to the agricultural production of plants; animal agriculture is not a part of the terminology. The term... Explore this topic

Palm oil

Palm kernel oil is an edible plant oil derived from the kernel of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis. It should not be confused with the other two edible oils derived from palm fruits: coconut oil, extracted from the kernel of the coconut, and palm oil, extracted from the pulp of ... Explore this topic

Initial public offering

An initial public offering or stock market launch is a type of public offering where shares of stock in a company are sold to the general public, on a securities exchange, for the first time. Through this process, a private company transforms into a public company. Initial pub... Explore this topic

Economy of Malaysia

The Economy of Malaysia is a growing and relatively open state-oriented and newly industrialised market economy. The state plays a significant but declining role in guiding economic activity through macroeconomic plans. In 2007, the economy of Malaysia was the 3rd largest econ... Explore this topic

Privatization

Privatization, also spelled privatisation, may have several meanings. Primarily, it is the process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency, public service or public property from the public sector to the private sector, either to a business that operate for... Explore this topic

Al Jazeera English

Al Jazeera English is an international 24-hour English-language news and current affairs TV channel headquartered in Doha, Qatar. It is the sister channel of the Arabic-language Al Jazeera. The station broadcasts news features and analysis, documentaries, live debates, current... Explore this topic

Also See

Federal Land Development Authority

Malaysia

Cash crop

Watch Next

5:48

Malaysian Opposition Rallies over 'Rigged Election'

LinkAsia | May 10

Malaysia's opposition coalition is calling foul after losing to the ruling party in a general election which saw the highest voter turnout in the n...