
Felda dispatches offer documents for FGV privatisation plan, closing July 7
In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, Felda said the offer, made via Maybank Investment Bank, will remain open for acceptance until the first closing date or such later date as may be determined and announced by Maybank on its behalf.
The offer forms part of Felda's unconditional voluntary takeover bid to acquire all remaining FGV shares at RM1.30 each.
Despite holding a collective 82.34 per cent stake through Felda and its subsidiary, Felda Holdings Company Sdn Bhd, the agency said it has limited influence over FGV's management as it does not control the board.
'Upon successful privatisation, Felda will be better positioned to enhance FGV Group's operational and financial efficiencies by streamlining its upstream and downstream plantation operations.
'Accordingly, Felda is offering holders the opportunity to realise their investment in the offer shares for cash at the offer price, representing a 9.91 per cent premium over the six-month volume-weighted average market price of RM1.1828 as at the latest practicable date (LPD),' it added.
The latest bid, launched on May 26 at RM1.30 per share, mirrors Felda's earlier, unsuccessful attempt to privatise FGV in 2020.
That year, Felda triggered a mandatory takeover offer after increasing its stake in FGV from 33.66 per cent by acquiring shares from Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) and Urusharta Jamaah for RM658 million.
FGV, which debuted in 2012 at RM4.55 a share, raised RM10.5 billion in one of Malaysia's largest initial public offerings. Its share price has since declined significantly, prompting repeated privatisation efforts. — Bernama
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Free Malaysia Today
33 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
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Free Malaysia Today
33 minutes ago
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FGV heads for delisting after 70% stock slide
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Financial scandals have tarnished Malaysia's reputation for decades, including corporate bailouts by state-owned funds. In the case of FGV, there is no evidence of wrongdoing but it stands out for the international attention it attracted at the start and ensuing malaise. In Kuala Lumpur's financial circles, talking about FGV prompts heavy sighs among analysts and executives, and its tale serves as a cautionary tale for investors considering exposure to government-linked companies. 'It was a lost opportunity for Malaysia,' said Ahmad Fauzi Hamid, a political science professor at Universiti Sains Malaysia. This 'could have been a venture that would transform both fortunes of smallholders and Malaysia's standing in the global oil palm industry,' he said. 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Malaysia had embarked on developing farms in its lush heartland, and poor families were invited to move in and grow rubber trees and oil palms. The so-called settlers sold the produce to the government, were guaranteed an income and paid a monthly mortgage. The scheme was organised under Felda, and grew to encompass more than 110,000 families by the 1990s. This scale helped make Malaysia one of the world's largest producers of palm oil and lifted people out of poverty, so much so that the World Bank praised Felda as 'a clear example that publicly funded agencies can be efficient users of resources'. FGV was formed in 2007 as a subsidiary meant to oversee and improve the returns of its plantations. IPO plans followed, in part so that the firm could tap capital markets instead of rely on the government for growth. At the time of listing, FGV was touted as the third-largest oil palm plantation operator in the world with over 340,000 hectares of estates in Malaysia, about the size of Rhode Island in the US. It also had a footprint in countries abroad, from China to South Africa. Then-prime minister Najib Razak promised part of the IPO proceeds would go to farmers. A general election was a year away and Felda farmers make up crucial voting blocs. In a speech ahead of the 2012 IPO, Najib declared the listing would be a 'quantum leap' for FGV. He also took a swipe at Facebook, now known as Meta Platforms Inc, whose shares had sunk below the offer price, saying he hoped FGV would perform better. Bankers who worked on the IPO recalled how investors clamored to be allocated shares as they didn't want to miss out on the deal. One of the world's biggest agricultural traders, Louis Dreyfus, took a small stake, while others who supported the IPO included Qatar's sovereign fund, AIA Group and multiple Malaysian funds. The shares surged more than 16% on their debut in June that year. However, that didn't last. The stock hasn't traded above its listing price since May 2014. Louis Dreyfus, the Qatar fund and AIA declined to comment. Acquisition spree For almost all its time as a listed company, the portion of analysts' hold and sell calls on FGV has outnumbered the buy calls, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Analysts' reports have highlighted that the company lagged peers in performance metrics and expressed skepticism about management's rationale for some key deals. FGV went on an acquisition spree after its listing, investing in assets from luxury condominiums to a nano carbon company. 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The status of the investigation is unclear, and the agency didn't respond to a request for comment on the outcome. 'The reason why people are so angry is because FGV is supposed to help to increase wealth, not invest in something that is unstable or something that is fishy and does not follow rules of procedure,' said Ahmad Martadha, a professor of government at Universiti Utara Malaysia. FGV's problems were not only internal. Its profits swung alongside gyrating global palm oil prices. Investor focus on environmental, social and governance issues also intensified scrutiny of the company. In 2020, US authorities imposed an import ban on FGV products after finding evidence of forced labour at the company. The company has said it has taken steps over the years to fix the issue, and it's committed to respecting human rights and upholding labour standards. It submitted a petition in June last year to modify the ongoing ban. FGV's problems have weighed on its biggest shareholder and, by extension, taxpayers in Malaysia. The company's spinoff from Felda came with an obligation to pay the parent a fixed annual fee plus a share of operating profits. Felda said it expected to receive around RM800 million a year. Over the first nine years after the IPO, FGV paid less than half that sum in total, amounting to a shortfall of about RM4.5 billion, according to calculations by Bloomberg News. FGV didn't respond to Bloomberg's query about its payments for the four most recent years, though the firm has previously maintained it has fulfilled the financial obligations to its shareholder. Felda has said the deficit contributed to its losses, pushing it to borrow heavily from banks. In 2019, the government unveiled a RM6.2 billion rescue package for the agency, stepping in again four years later to guarantee billions of ringgit worth of loans. For Zhu Hann Ng, the founder of Kuala Lumpur-based fund manager Tradeview Capital, his takeaway from the saga is that foreign investors looking at Malaysia should steer clear of government-linked companies. 'The government has no business being in business,' he said. FGV's once-lofty aspirations of being a world-class palm oil conglomerate have now shrunk to focus back on the farmers who toil on its plantations. At a recent event for the settlers, the mood was upbeat with loud local music playing and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim talking up the benefits of delisting. Yet, even some of these key stakeholders are befuddled by the events of the past decade. Masri Salleh has been a farmer with Felda since 1972 in Trolak Utara in the northern state of Perak. He opposed the IPO and didn't buy any shares. Many of his friends did using loans, believing promises that the stock would soar in value. 'I'm stunned by what's happening,' Masri, 75, said. 'We are so tired of speaking up and not getting any answers,' he added.

Barnama
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