Bumiputera Economic Congress will nurture more entrepreneurs

PONTIAN: The Bumiputera Economic Congress (KEB), which will be held next month, will hopefully be the best platform to nurture even more entrepreneurs and strengthen the Bumiputera economy, UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said.

He did admit that there were limitations that needed to be addressed, but said that the congress had the potential of boosting their dominance in the national economy.

The economic data on bumiputeras published by Forbes last year which included a list of Malaysian millionaires could be a yardstick to identify measures that needed to be taken through the congress, he added.

“The data showed that only three of the 50 millionaires listed were Malays, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary. Tan Sri Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim and Tan Sri Azman Hashim.

“What is regrettable is that Bumiputeras are 70.1 per cent of the country’s population, but only three of them are in the list,” he told reporters after launching the Sahabat Ar Rahnu Pontian branch here today.

Ahmad added that the over 400,000 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) students should be encouraged to consider becoming entrepreneurs to strengthen the bumiputera economy.

“Not only SPM students, but the hundreds of thousands of Bumiputeras, including Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM), diploma, degree holders as well as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students need to consider entrepreneurship as an option. Only then can we control the economy and not just rely on salaried jobs,” the Pontian MP said.

He also said that KEB joint chairmen, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Economic Affairs Minister Rafizi Ramli, would announce the topic of discussion at the congress.

Ahmad Zahid was reported to have said on Jan 5 that the KEB, which will be held from Feb 29 to March 2 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre, would centre on efforts of setting a new direction and approach for the Bumiputera agenda.

He also was quoted saying that the congress, organised at the behest of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Cabinet, would focus on 10 main clusters, including educational and human capital reform, strengthening halal industry, Sabah and Sarawak Bumiputera economy and mastering new technology. - Bernama