KUALA LUMPUR: A new National Economic Policy needs to be drawn up to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor regardless of race.
Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said it was high time that the national economic model was reviewed.
“We need an economic model that really ensures growth that commensurates with equitable distribution of wealth.
“We should not let the majority be marginalised and excluded from the nation’s economic progress,” he said when simultaneously opening the Umno Wanita, Youth and Puteri general assemblies last night.
“Furthermore, disparity in the community is not only based on ethnicity, but also social class,” he said in his speech entitled “Re-engineer change, facing the time”.
Muhyiddin, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, said no party should view the corrective measures taken as a racist agenda.
“This is a national agenda. We have to make the bumiputra agenda a national agenda, not a racist agenda,” he said.
Muhyiddin also proposed that the bumiputra agenda be included in the 11th Malaysia Plan.
“The bumiputra agenda should not be implemented in isolation from the main national economic framework,” he said, adding that it should be inclusive and comprehensive across the economic sector.
He said Malaysia recorded the highest economic growth (6.3%) in Asia, attracted the highest (RM216.5bil) in foreign direct investment last year, and improved its position in the Global Competitive Report from the 24th position to 20th this year, indicating that it was on the right track towards achieving a high-income nation status.
“But despite the achievement, the majority of the bumiputra who make up 67.4% of the population are low-income earners.
Muhyiddin said the median monthly household income was lowest among the Malays (RM3,282) compared with the Chinese (RM4,643) and Indians (RM3,676).
He said amidst the passion to achieve a high-income nation status, a clear target should be set for bumiputra in urban and rural areas in the peninsula as well as Sabah and Sarawak to ensure equitable and fair distribution of wealth.
Muhyiddin also took a swipe at those who claimed Umno was racist for protecting Islam, the special privileges of the Malays and the position of Malay Rulers as well as the Malay language.
“When Umno defends Malay rights, we are accused of being racist, but when other races fight for their rights they call it defending minority rights in a democratic country.
“Similarly, when we defend the position of Islam which is the religion of the federation, we are called extreme, but when others fight for the interest of other religions, that is called freedom of religion,” he said.
He said, it is as if to these groups, Umno had not done anything for the country and that all the sacrifices that it had made to gain independence for the country were for nought.
Muhyiddin said the racial polarisation occurred because of political hatred fanned by certain quarters.
“I believe we can regain inter-ethnic confidence through a national education system emphasising on national unity,” he said.
-The Star
