A new study conducted by the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) has put the spotlight on the politicisation of the federal land development scheme, which it said contributed to the series of scandals that afflicted Felda in recent years.

Among others, the anti-corruption watchdog highlighted that power over Felda had shifted from bureaucrats to politicians since 2001, and later more centralised under the Prime Minister’s Department since it came under caretaker prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s purview in 2004, when the latter was still deputy prime minister...