The NEP enriched the political and establishment elites
Bumiputeras are graciously allowed to have the crumbs
Murray Hunter
Revelations from the Panama Papers and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Cabinet asset declaration, clearly shows that political and establishment elites greatly benefitted from the New Economic Policy (NEP).
Five-year plans, annual budgets, tender processes, and other awarding of contracts have all been skewed towards benefitting connected people and their corporations, either directly, or by proxy.
Yes, it can be argued that a Malay middle class was developed through employment within the public sector. Yes, we have a massively bloated civil service. However the lives of the self employed and independent contractors, greatly depended upon connections. In many cases, as Hussein Hamid pointed out in his blog, he as a Malay trader had to complete against public enterprises to make a living. Hussein says
