Malaysian economy grew highest during NEP, says Dr M

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad today refuted allegations that the New Economic Policy (NEP) stunted Malaysia's economic growth.

"When the NEP was fully implemented, we recorded the highest growth," he said in his keynote address at a forum in Putrajaya.

Speaking at the Perdana Leadership Foundation's Perdana Discourse Series 15 titled 'The Future of Affirmative Action', Mahathir maintained that the stability generated by NEP's affirmative action policies helped to create stability, which then laid the groundwork for the economy to expand.

He argued that, under the NEP, Malaysia had economically exceeded not only other nations that had gained independence at the same time, but also some developed countries.

To say that NEP has discouraged growth, reasoned Mahathir, is to deny that fact.

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