Malay conundrum: few wealthy businessmen, many wealthy politicians

 

Former federal minister Salleh Said Keruak said the larger number of very rich Malay politicians should allay concerns about the greater number of rich non-Malays. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: A former minister has taken a swipe at those worried that the number of successful non-Malay businessmen outnumbers that of their Malay counterparts. He said such comparisons were not based on reality.

Salleh Said Keruak contended that although Malaysia has a small number of wealthy Malay businessmen, in reality, there was a larger number of very wealthy Malay politicians.

The fact there were a larger number of very rich Malay politicians “balances out the situation” and allays concerns about the greater number of rich non-Malays, he said.

He told FMT: “It is a known fact that wealthy Malay politicians prefer to have non Malay businessmen as their proxies.”

Salleh, a former federal minister and former Sabah chief minister, had been asked to comment on the Bumiputera economic congress, where he noticed some Malay quarters expressing such concerns.

Salleh also noted that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had expressed hope that the Bumiputera community could improve their social-economic status to stand on a better foundation in facing the challenges and opportunities in the future.

Economy minister Rafizi Ramli has said Malaysia must redirect its focus from domestic rivalry between Bumiputeras and non-Bumiputeras to competing together on a global scale.

Salleh said: “But as Elon Musk puts it, we need to understand and break down the problem into its fundamental principles before creating solutions.” - FMT