Move away from handout mentality to help Bumiputeras, says Tajuddin

 

Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman says the government has been helping those affected by the pandemic through cash handouts.

KUALA LUMPUR: An Umno MP has urged the government to move on from the “welfare mentality” of constantly giving handouts and subsidies to uplift the Bumiputera community.

Debating the 2022 Supply Bill in the Dewan Rakyat today, Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said the government had been helping out those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic but this could not go on.

“I want the government of the day, as well as leaders from the pro-government and opposition sides, to think big. We have to change,” he said, adding that assistance for the Bumiputeras must go beyond handouts.

The 2022 budget allocations announced on Friday included RM11.4 billion for Bumiputera programmes, of which RM6.6 billion is for education programmes.

Other allocations include RM4.8 billion for capacity-building programmes and RM100 million in matching grants for Bumiputera SMEs in the aerospace industry.

This led to former law minister Zaid Ibrahim remarking that it was “nice to be a Bumiputera”, noting the billions in allocations provided. - FMT