Take advantage of new Bumi agenda or others will, Jakim warns Muslims

In its Friday sermon, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) gave its stamp of approval to Putrajaya’s new Bumiputera Economic Empowerment Agenda which is meant to dish out to the community billions in aid and contracts.

Jakim urged Muslims to seize the opportunities presented and warned that a failure to take advantage of the scheme would allow “others” to reap what is to be lavished upon the Bumiputera community.

“Remember, if we still fail to take this golden opportunity, surely others will receive the benefits and we will continue living backwards and looked down upon in our own native land,” Jakim warned in the sermon.

The sermon, available online, praised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (pic) for pushing the Bumiputera agenda which, it said, would help Muslims prosper economically.

It said the economic plan challenged Muslims to work harder.

“It is our responsibility as Muslims to strive earnestly and tirelessly to grab the opportunity prepared by the rulers to improve ourselves and defend the survival of Muslims in this beloved homeland of ours.”

Najib’s detractors have said the new programme is a reversal of his 2009 promise to dismantle race-based economic policies and introduce the needs-based New Economic Model (NEM).

Najib was forced to backtrack and launch a stripped down version of the NEM after it was criticised by right wing Malay groups like Perkasa.

The NEM was to replace the New Economic Policy, introduced in 1971, to bridge the socioeconomic gap between the Chinese and the Bumiputeras.