He said he was surprised to read a news report that Felda was offended by the Felda Convention to be held in Shah Alam next Sunday.

Felda director-general Hanapi Suhada had said Felda had never given any permission to use the Felda name for the convention.

He said some quarters were trying to disturb the harmony and wellbeing of Felda settlers. He said the use of the Felda name in the convention could confuse the settlers in 317 land schemes and the public at large.

Lim, in a statement today, said this was a “hysterical statement, reflecting a most petty and small-minded mentality”.

“If Hanapi is so confident that Felda settlers have benefited enormously from able and competent Felda management and stewardship, why is he chary of sending the highest Felda officials to the convention next Sunday to assure the 100,000 settlers that all is well with Felda based on the precept ‘Berani kerana benar’?”

The Gelang Patah MP said the convention will provide an excellent venue for Hanapi and his officials to prove the critics wrong about Felda’s leadership and stewardship in the past two decades.