Perkasa chief warns of fresh race riot if Malays not helped economically
(TMI) – Right-wing group Perkasa has warned of another racial riot if the majority Malays remained poor, saying the Najib administration had done the right thing by introducing a new affirmative action programme.
The RM31 billion Bumiputera Economic Empowerment Plan (BEEP) is meant to raise the economic status of the Malays after the failures of previous plans but critics say it repudiates the market liberalisation moves in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s New Economic Model (NEM) launched three years ago.
“What guarantees can you give that if the situation remains and nothing is done to help the Malays there will not be another May 13?” Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali asked, referring to the 1969 race riots, Malaysia’s worst in history.
The one-time government deputy minister said the welfare of the Malays, who form about 60% of the 29 million population, must be taken care of to guarantee security and political stability.
“The racial riots on May 13, 1969 occurred because Malays were not satisfied,” he told The Malaysian Insider in an interview in Kuala Lumpur.
Ibrahim said less than 30% of the nation’s wealth was in the hands of the Malays despite more than 50 years of independence.
“This is what I am repeatedly telling Umno leaders. What is the use of having tall buildings and excellent infrastructure when the Malays continue to remain poor in their country,” he said, referring to the iconic 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers.
He said the Malays needed help now because the business environment had become more challenging as the world had become borderless.
Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/perkasa-chief-warns-of-fresh-race-riot-if-malays-not-helped-economically
