Non-bumi allocation: Umno Youth exco tells Guan Eng to show gratitude
Published: Mar 3, 2025 8:06 PM
Updated: 11:06 PM
Summary
- Umno Youth exco Wan Zuhir Ghazali criticises Lim Guan Eng for suggesting that 10 percent of bumiputera budget allocations be given to non-bumiputera, arguing that most of Malaysia’s poor are bumiputera.
- He cites poverty rates, saying government assistance has yet to strengthen bumiputera economic ownership and urged Lim to be more appreciative.
Umno Youth exco Wan Zuhir Ghazali has chastised DAP chairperson Lim Guan Eng over the latter’s call to allocate 10 percent of the budget earmarked for bumiputera communities for the non-bumiputera instead.
He said Lim shouldn’t be “so political” that he misses the reality that the majority of those living in poverty in Malaysia are bumiputera.
As an example, he said the absolute poverty rate among the bumiputera is 7.2 percent, compared to 1.4 percent among the Chinese Malaysians and 4.8 percent for Indian Malaysians.
“Even from this simple data, we can understand the situation.
“Government priorities and assistance for bumiputera have yet to achieve their objective of increasing bumiputera economic ownership.
“Before Lim questions allocations for the bumiputera, he should at least show some gratitude. Don’t be selfish to the point of sidelining more important concerns,” he said in a statement today.
Poverty numbers
The figures cited by Wan Zuhir (above) appear to have been taken from the Statistics Department’s Poverty in Malaysia 2019 Report.
The latest edition of the report for 2022 places the national absolute poverty rate at 6.2 percent. By race, the latest figure is 7.9 percent for bumiputera, 1.9 percent for Chinese, 5.4 percent for Indians, and 6.5 percent for other Malaysians.
A household is considered to be in absolute poverty if the household income is not enough to accommodate the basic needs of food, residence, and clothing.
He said Lim shouldn’t be “so political” that he misses the reality that the majority of those living in poverty in Malaysia are bumiputera.
As an example, he said the absolute poverty rate among the bumiputera is 7.2 percent, compared to 1.4 percent among the Chinese Malaysians and 4.8 percent for Indian Malaysians.
“Even from this simple data, we can understand the situation.
“Government priorities and assistance for bumiputera have yet to achieve their objective of increasing bumiputera economic ownership.
“Before Lim questions allocations for the bumiputera, he should at least show some gratitude. Don’t be selfish to the point of sidelining more important concerns,” he said in a statement today.
Poverty numbers
The figures cited by Wan Zuhir (above) appear to have been taken from the Statistics Department’s Poverty in Malaysia 2019 Report.
The latest edition of the report for 2022 places the national absolute poverty rate at 6.2 percent. By race, the latest figure is 7.9 percent for bumiputera, 1.9 percent for Chinese, 5.4 percent for Indians, and 6.5 percent for other Malaysians.
A household is considered to be in absolute poverty if the household income is not enough to accommodate the basic needs of food, residence, and clothing.
In a statement today, Lim highlighted the stark disparity in past budget allocations, citing that in Budget 2022 under Perikatan Nasional, RM11.4 billion was allocated to bumiputera, while non-bumiputera received only RM345 million, amounting to just three percent of the total allocation.
He said that while he supports allocations being provided to assist the bumiputera, the allocation provided to non-bumiputera should be raised from three percent to 10 percent.
The Bagan MP also raised this issue while debating the supplementary budget in the Dewan Rakyat, stating that such an approach aligns with the Madani government’s commitment to serving all Malaysians fairly.
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