DYNAMICS AND CHALLENGES OF GRASSROOTS SETTLER LEADERSHIP FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN FELDA SELASIH, MALAYSIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i5.1723Keywords:
community development, community leadership, FELDA, rural development, social capitalAbstract
This study explores the dynamics and challenges of FELDA settler leadership exercised through three grassroots organisations in FELDA Selasih: the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) as the principal coordinating body, and the Women's Association Movement (GPW) and the Malaysian FELDA Youth Council (MBFM) as partner organisations representing women and youth. It examines leadership challenges, inter-organisational dynamics, generational involvement and adaptive strategies. A qualitative case study design was adopted, involving 10 purposively selected informants comprising leaders and active members of JKKK, GPW and MBFM. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, observation and document analysis, and were analysed thematically. The findings suggest that settler leadership operates within a complex social system in which trust, relationships, and social legitimacy shape how effective leaders are perceived. Leaders act not merely as administrators but as change agents who build trust and mobilise collective effort, and informants described collaboration among JKKK, GPW and MBFM as facilitating programme implementation. Key obstacles include limited funding, inconsistent community engagement, and declining youth participation, driven by changing lifestyles and social mobility, which threaten leadership continuity. Nevertheless, the community retains strong social capital through gotong-royong, waqf contributions and close cooperation, and leaders adopt adaptive approaches. However, their long-term effectiveness could not be assessed in a single-site study. The study offers a context-specific account of distributed settler leadership in a FELDA scheme. It proposes that leadership sustainability depends on extending the bonding social capital of older settlers into bridging ties with the younger generation.
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Copyright (c) 2026 KHAMIS MANSOR, HAIRULNIZAM MOHD KHORI, HAFIS SIMIN, MOHAMMAD HASAN SHARAFI CHE MOHD ADLI
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