Perkasa demands 60pc Bumi equity, public university quotas

Abd Rahman says the government should be thankful to the Malays. — Picture by Saw Siow FengKUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — Perkasa will push for 60 per cent Bumiputera equity targets and quotas for enrolment in public universities, double the current 30 per cent quota, the Malay right-wing group’s acting president Datuk Abd Rahman Abu Bakar has said.

Abd Rahman pointed out that Barisan Nasional (BN) had enjoyed increased support from Malay voters in the May 5 general election, noting that Umno had bagged 88 out of the ruling coalition’s 133 federal seats, up from the 79 seats it won out of BN’s 140 seats in Election 2008.

“We’re not asking for something that’s unrealistic,” said Abd Rahman in an exclusive interview with The Malaysian Insider, pointing out that Bumiputeras comprised 67 per cent of the population.

“The government should be thankful to the Malays,” added the Perkasa deputy president, referring to the results of Election 2013 that showed a bigger victory for Umno.

Abd Rahman, however, accused the Chinese of not appreciating the government by deserting BN in the 13th general election despite preliminary analyses showing that middle-class and urban voters had supported Pakatan Rakyat (PR) across racial lines.

“Jangan mencurah air di daun keladi,” he said, quoting a Malay proverb in reference to the BN government’s “wasted” efforts to draw support from the Chinese community.

Perkasa’s demand for increased racial quotas will likely complicate Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s efforts to reform the economy and roll back race-based policies to transform Malaysia into a developed nation by 2020.

Bumiputeras should be given priority in this country. — Perkasa deputy president Datuk Abd Rahman Abu Bakar

Malaysia recently reported a gross domestic product (GDP) growth of just 4.1 per cent in the first quarter of the year, the slowest pace of growth since the third quarter of 2009 and lower than the 5.5 per cent rate projected by economists.

When Najib first took power in 2009, he announced reform plans to spur economic growth, increasing transparency and dismantling pro-Bumiputera affirmative action policies.

But Najib’s ambitions have been dashed by Malay rights groups and conservatives within Umno. He has yet to come up with major steps to remove ethnic privileges that are seen to benefit Malay elites, instead of the poor majority.

Abd Rahman also said that Bumiputera companies should be prioritised in mega government projects and called for the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development to be revived to assist Malay businessmen.

He added that public universities should reserve 60 per cent of admissions for Malays and other Bumiputeras.

Abd Rahman also said that the government should stop providing funds or land for Chinese and Tamil schools, besides limiting the enrolment in public universities and government scholarships to students from national schools.

“We also request for Malay and Bumiputera students to be given full scholarships,” he said.

“The government should consider continuing Vision Schools... they promote unity,” added the deputy president of the Malay lobby group.

Abd Rahman also called for the National Higher Education Loans (PTPTN) for Bumiputera students who achieved a 2.5 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) in their degrees to be converted to scholarships.

Abd Rahman insisted that he was not a “racist”, saying that Perkasa was merely fighting for the constitutional rights of Malays.

The powerful Malay lobby group is backed by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and has some 407,000 members throughout Malaysia.

Abd Rahman said Perkasa was aiming to increase its membership to a million people by the end of the year after the group’s elections in September.

“Bumiputeras should be given priority in this country,” he said.