Nor Yackop warns class war is Putrajaya’s next challenge

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

July 31, 2011

Nor Yackop speaks to media after signing the rail agreement with Singapore June 27, 2011.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 — Putrajaya has acknowledged the growing economic disparity between different social classes, with Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yackop saying today the next hurdle was to solve income inequality within the same race.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said that while the Najib administration had successfully “reduced” income disparity between different races in the country, it had yet to deal with the economic gap of different social classes within a race.

“Although we have successfully reduced inter-ethnic inequality... there is disparity within the races itself,” he said today during a public talk organised by the Malaysian Student Leaders Summit (MSLS).

Nor Yackop, who is in charge of the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) also said there was still a need for Bumiputera policies and quotas.

“It is a moral philosophy. The government has the responsibility to bring everyone to the starting point. The weak need to be given an opportunity to get to the starting point.

“Once you get them to the starting point (with others), the race will go on,” said Nor Yackop.

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