PUTRAJAYA, Dec 28 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) will pursue a new national Bumiputera agenda after the former administration failed to improve the people’s lives, said its president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Opening the annual general meeting of PPBM’s Armada youth wing and Srikandi women’s wing, he said despite all the initiatives to uplift the community’s economic status, the Barisan Nasional government had failed because of greed.
Muhyiddin said one of the biggest challenges facing PPBM as a native-based party is to prove to the Malays and the Bumiputera as a whole that their position in Malaysia is better guaranteed under Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) rule.
“In the B40 group, 74 per cent with income below RM4,360 are Malay and Bumiputera households. They are the farmers, fishermen, small-time traders, and labourers. They ask what can the government offer? Will their lives be better under PH rule or otherwise?
“PPBM will champion a new Bumiputera Agenda that will elevate the position of the Malays and Bumiputera as a whole. I will propose to the PH Presidential Council to make the Bumiputera Agenda as PH’s Basic Policy and it will be accepted by the Cabinet to be implemented as a National Agenda,” said Muhyiddin.
The focus of this new policy will be equal outcome unlike the previous administration’s equal opportunity as equal opportunity that does not create equal outcome is still an unfair policy, he said.
As an example, Muhyiddin gave a comparison between two businessmen — the first has a capital of RM10 while the other has a capital of RM100.
Even if both obtained 100 per cent profit the one with the smaller capital will only bring home a total of RM20 when compared to his competitor who will gain RM200, he said.
“Therefore if focus is given only to equal opportunity instead of equal outcome, income disparity will continue to grow,” said Muhyiddin.
He also said a database to identify Bumiputera entrepreneurs who require assistance should be developed as a support structure.
The database would focus on Bumiputera startups, particularly those involved in new technology, digital economy, renewable energy, automated agriculture and financial technology — sectors which are in line with the Industrial Revolution 4.0.
Echoing BN’s previous policies, Muhyiddin still wants priorities on government procurement to be granted to Bumiputera companies on a carve-out and compete policy, among others.
However, the veteran politician promised that the execution and implementation of these policies will be conducted without the elements of corruption and leakages.
“Continuous monitoring will also be conducted by a body with executive powers to ensure the goal of this policy will be achieved. This body will be responsible to identify any problems at the implementation stage and raise the issue to the government to find a solution,” said Muhyiddin.
Among the agencies that will be available to assist the government in this endeavour include Teraju, Bumiputera Economic Council, Mara, Tekun, PUNB, and Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia.
Muhyiddin said the indicators that the policy is a successful one will be based on stronger purchasing power, manageable costs of living and inflation, smaller disparity of income among races, classes and regions and greater contribution from the SME sector to Malaysia’s gross national income.
