Putrajaya rains cash on Penang bumis ahead of polls

The federal government has raised its allocation for Penang bumiputera participation in the economy and other sectors to its highest level ever ahead of the looming general election.

According to the Federal Expenditure Estimate 2013 (FEE), RM120 million was allocated for the ‘Penang Bumiputera Participation' project under the Prime Minister's Department budget for next year.

This is a 45.5 percent increase from this year's allocation of RM82.5 million and nearly triple the amount when the allocation first began in 2011.

The programme, which is exclusive to Penang, was introduced when Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak tabled his first budget in 2010 with an initial allocation of RM45 million for 2011.

The allocation was on top of existing programmes by the Penang Bumiputera Participation Coordination Division (BPPB), which was established in 1977.

BPPB's role, among others as listed on its website, was to "prepare strategic planning to strengthen the geopolitical position and participation of bumiputera in strategic sector and human development".

The division comes under the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU), which in turn is under the purview of the PM's Department.

Critical vote bank

According to the FEE, the ICU is allocated a budget of RM50 million for 2013 on top of an additional one-off payment of RM500,000.

BN has repeatedly accused the Pakatan-led state government of sidelining Penang Malays, the former's critical vote bank in the state.

Pakatan, and DAP in particular, has vehemently denied this and has even produced a point-by-point rebuttal against the allegation.

BN in Penang controls 11 of 40 seats in the legislative assembly, all of which are Malay-majority seats. There are a total of 15 Malay-majority seats in the state.

Umno vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said retaining the 11 seats - all won by Umno - was essential to re-capture Penang in the next general election.

He mooted a 3-3-3-1 formula in which, in addition to existing seats, Umno, MCA and Gerakan must gain another three seats each and one by MIC if BN is to win back power in the state.