Kuala terengganu: Negotiations between the Terengganu State Government and the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) over the commercial plantation land issue have concluded with a positive outcome. Terengganu State Secretary Datuk Zulkifli Ali stated that the negotiations, which had been ongoing for more than a month, ended yesterday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Zulkifli mentioned that both parties had reached a settlement. "We discussed it yesterday. (It is) settled. The outcome is positive," he said briefly when asked at a ceremony held ahead of his mandatory retirement on January 9. Further details on the resolution are expected to be disclosed in official statements by both the state government and FELDA soon.

The issue arose when the Terengganu State Government issued notices prohibiting encroachment on FELDA-managed land across 10 plantations, covering approximately 15,000 hectares. The state government alleged that the land had been developed without the payment of premiums, land tax, or profit-sharing for over 40 years. These notices were served to plantation management in areas including Setiu, Besut, Kemaman, Marang, Dungun, and Hulu Terengganu.

In response to the situation, the state government had extended the remedial period granted to FELDA by one month until tomorrow. This extension followed positive developments from a series of negotiations between the involved parties. The outcome of these discussions is expected to address the longstanding issues related to land management and financial obligations.