Govt missed chance to attract Malay voters with Bumiputera congress, says KJ

 

Khairy Jamaluddin said the government’s statements during the congress were ‘thin on details’. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: The Bumiputera economic congress represents a missed opportunity for the government to better position itself among Malay voters, says former Umno leader Khairy Jamaluddin.

“I think it is a missed opportunity, because as politicians, we expect political gains in whatever we do.

“When we talk about the political impact of the congress on Malay voters, it did not really move the needle,” Khairy said in the latest episode of the “Keluar Sekejap” podcast, adding that most men in the streets were unaware of it.

The former Umno Youth chief criticised the government’s statements during the congress, noting that they were “thin on details”.

Taking aim at the announced RM1 billion allocation to kickstart a Bumiputera entrepreneurship fund, he said the details were not given, and questioned whether it is part of the RM1.5 billion in allocations that will be provided by government-linked investment companies under the 2024 budget.

“Where is the scheme and where can they access the grants or loans that were announced?” he asked.

Co-host Shahril Hamdan echoed Khairy’s sentiment, saying most of the statements had been made in previous congresses as well.

“Based on social media, there were instances when the hall appeared empty. The hall filled up with attendees when their political masters gave speeches, but they would leave immediately after,” he said.

He said the presence of “political crowds” suggested that the congress did not contribute to political gains, as the attendees were predominantly clusters from government parties.

The 2024 Bumiputera economic congress, held from Feb 29 to March 2, was the seventh to date. It was first initiated in 1965 as a platform to formulate policies to elevate the Bumiputeras’ socioeconomic status. - FMT