Make Malay agenda ‘top priority’
A resolution at the Malay Economic Congress also said the government had failed to implement the NEP equitably.
Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT
The Malay Economic Congress demanded that the “Malay agenda” be Putrajaya’s top priority.
The demand reflected the growing frustration among Malay businesses over Putrajaya’s liberal directions and the contention that the New Economic Policy had failed to elevate the community’s economic status.
The race-based affirmative action NEP was created in the 1970s to boost the ethnic majority’s business participation through a 30% equity ownership programme, but the target had not been achieved up until today.
Although the policy created a large pool of Malay middle class, genuine supporters of the system, often mid to low-level Malay businesses, lamented the widespread abuse of the system by “cronies” linked to the ruling party.
Today’s congress reflected that sentiment.
In its resolutions, the congress criticised the Najib administration’s alleged “lack of support” for the Malay business community, especially on the growing choke-hold of government-linked companies (GLC) on government contracts.
The demands included assurance from the prime minister that all GLCs have a clear Malay agenda with a key performance index system in place to ensure they “partake in the economic advancement of the Malays”.
Leaders failed NEP
Malay Chamber of Commerce president Syed Ali Alattas in his speech at the congress here criticised the GLCs for their alleged failure to carry out their duty as the vanguard of the NEP.
“There was no sense of urgency on the part of the government to address the poor implementation of the NEP,” he said.
