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Part 1: Old solutions to a never-ending issue

The recently concluded Bumiputera Economic Congress (like the ones before it) was  very much a political affair as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sought to position himself as the new champion of Malay nationalism.

While there was a great deal of verbal incontinence about Bumiputera empowerment, it ended up being a forum to advance the power and position of privileged Bumiputera elites at the expense of the rest of the nation. 

Once again, the B40 group – Bumiputera and non-Bumiputera – are left with the crumbs; they can look forward to yet more years of low-paying, dead-end jobs and government handouts to survive. And that’s exactly where the politicians want them to be – forever dependent on government largesse to survive and easy to manipulate to boot.

In the run-up to the Congress, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim raised expectations with lofty speeches about inclusivity, transformation and change.[1] Hopes soared that finally he would put an end to the whole wasteful, corrupt and widely abused structures that the NEP had spawned over the years, that he would move towards the kind of  needs-based policies that he himself had long advocated.

It was not to be. The same old failed policies were trotted out camouflaged with new names, new labels, new terminologies. Bumiputera Empowerment became Bumiputera Transformation. The word “inclusiveness” which gave the impression that there would be something in it for non-Malays turned out to be nothing more than a demand that non-Bumiputeras work closely with the government to further empower the Bumiputeras. 

Bumiputeras and non-Bumiputeras working together for the good of all is something that is much needed but if the government wants to see genuine cooperation and real partnership between the two, it has to demonstrate in meaningful ways that both sides will really benefit from such cooperation. Cooperation, after all, means working together for mutual benefit. As it stands, there’s really nothing much for non-Bumiputeras to get excited about. Constantly shunting minorities aside and then expecting them to work together is simply unrealistic and ultimately self-defeating.

Of course, there was no shortage of people who praised the congress as a breakthrough event; it was actually a wasted opportunity. It just condemns the nation to the continuance of a failed economic framework, an albatross that keeps Malaysia at the level of mediocrity while doing nothing to ease racial polarization. 

Zahid, perhaps sensing the growing hostility towards many of these Bumiputera policies, urged everyone not to view government assistance for Bumiputeras cynically.[2] He is expecting too much. Years of corruption, abuse of power and failed policies have made cynics of most Malaysians. 

But, no matter how bad these policies are or no matter how much money is squandered, we are all warned to respect Bumiputera sensitivities and refrain from questioning the Bumiputera agenda.[3] It’s the preferred method of stifling honest debate and avoiding the hard questions. All it does is perpetuate a system that is wasteful and abusive. If there is to be change, voters must demand greater accountability and transparency of all polices whether for Bumiputeras or otherwise.   

Interestingly, UMNO emerged as the key driver of Bumiputera-related policies with Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO President Zahid Hamidi playing an outsized role in the Congress. As Chairman of the Performance and Implementation Management Committee Meeting (Steering Committee) that was set up by the Congress, he will now have a huge say in developing the Bumiputera economy and all the billions that will be channelled to it. That should translate into a great deal of political power and patronage.

It is another reminder that Pakatan Harapan appears to have given up trying to win Malay support on its own and has outsourced that role to UMNO now. Zahid must be congratulated for his political acumen; with only 26 seats in parliament (compared to PKR’s 31 and DAP’s 40), he has made UMNO the real lynchpin of the coalition government. Will UMNO use it to build up the Anwar Administration or strengthen its own position and challenge PH down the road?

[Dennis Ignatius | Kuala Lumpur | 18th March 2024]

[1] PM Anwar says Bumiputera Economic Congress 2024 will be more inclusive |Malay Mail |15 February 2024

[2] Don’t view govt assistance for Bumiputeras cynically, says Zahid |FMT |27 February 2024

[3] Respect each other’s sensitivities for stability, says Umno leader |Malaysiakini |17 March 2024