RICH MALAYS MUST STOP RAPING PUTRAJAYA – BUMI BENEFITS ARE FOR THE POOR, NOT THE ELITE: UMNO MAN GOES AGAINST HIS PARTY PRACTICE OF HELPING CRONIES WHILE THE UNDERPRIVILEGED STRUGGLE

PETALING JAYA: An Umno leader has called for a needs-based approach in helping the Bumiputera community, saying it was time rich Malays were stopped from reaping benefits from the government.

“They should be channelled to those who really need them,” Umno Youth vice-chief Shahril Hamdan told FMT.

He was asked if certain benefits under the government’s decades-long affirmative action policy, such as discount on prices of new houses and quotas for college scholarships, should be abolished.

Shahril, saying he was not speaking on Umno’s behalf, said “elite Malays” should decline such assistance, adding that they had already benefited from such initiatives.

Shahril said these Malays should give the underprivileged Malays a chance.

Faisal Hazis, an analyst with Penang-based pressure group Aliran, said the pro-Bumiputera policies were problematic largely due to its implementation by Putrajaya.

He said on paper, the New Economic Policy (NEP) is ideal as it revolves around restructuring the community and is meant to help those in need.

The NEP was introduced in the aftermath of the 1969 racial riots by then prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein, with the aim of increasing the share of national wealth among Malays and Bumiputeras to at least 30%.

“But problems arise when it comes to implementation as it benefits those who need no help,” Faisal said, adding that the policy ended up helping the government’s cronies.

“We need to differentiate between the policy that is meant to help and the problems of implementing it.”

– FMT