Bumi agenda not just for Umno elites, party leaders tell Anwar: KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 — Senior Umno leaders have shot down Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s claim that the recently unveiled pro-Bumiputera New Economic Model (NEM) would only benefit party members and the well-connected political elite. Umno permanent chairman Tan Sri Badruddin Amirudin said the Opposition Leader’s accusation was “not correct at all”, insisting that the agenda is meant for everyone in the Bumiputera community. “Actually the agenda is for Malays and Bumiputera, not specifically for Umno members. He should understand, he was once an Umno deputy president. “We don’t fight for the party, we fight for the people. So the Malays and also the Bumiputera have the right to get the announcement made by the prime minister recently, that is to strengthen the economic position of the Malays and Bumiputera,” he told The Malay Mail Online today at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also the president of Malay-based party Umno, had last week unveiled the plan that would make over RM31 billion in loans and programmes available to assist the Bumiputera community. Umno supreme council member Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin said that Anwar always looked at proposals pushed by the party in a “negative” light, explaining that the NEM was aimed at increasing the participation of the Bumiputera in the economy. He said the NEM was not aimed at cronies or well-connected elites as alleged, saying that he had even asked for the figures of the number of Bumiputera that would benefit from the policy. “We don’t think that is for crony or some people that we target. “I’m in MT (Supreme Council) so I know. I’m the one who criticise this implementation. I want the president, the prime minister to identify how many Malays that we are going to improve in economic in the future. So that is our target, it’s not what Anwar Ibrahim said. “It’s not elite people, we want to groom everybody, those who involve in entreprenuership, to improve them,” the Kinabatangan MP added. Umno supreme council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi similarly said Anwar’s allegations are “not true”, saying that it was merely a “perception” as the government would ensure that the benefits reach the Bumiputera that need it. “Those is only a perception because I’m sure that through the special unit, especially in every ministry, the [needy] people will benefit from this policy. “That’s why I support the idea to establish unit pelaksanaan Bumiputera (Bumiputera implementation unit) in every ministry to ensure that those who are [needy] will get the benefit from this policy,” the former deputy education minister said. Yesterday, Anwar claimed that ordinary members of the public will stand to gain little from the Bumiputera Agenda as its billions in benefits will likely be siphoned off by a handful of elites. “Among the weaknesses of a democratic system is bad governance. It means there are leaders who only prioritise cronies, members of politics and its elites. “In Umno’s system that we can see now it is not about the public. (They are) the ones who benefit the most ... benefits from the New Economic Policy, and the Bumiputera empowerment agenda, for example,” he told a crowd in a lecture on democracy. The PKR de facto leader was speaking at the launch of the party’s Centre for Reform, Democracy and Social Initiatives, otherwise known as Reformasi. dlvr.it/40qz6V
Posted on: Sat, 21 Sep 2013 09:50:16 +0000
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