There are four reasons why the economy of the Bumiputeras were still lagging behind other races, said Negri Sembilan Umno delegate Tuan Abdul Rahman Mohd Redza.

He said the first reason was the tendency for Bumiputera companies to cut corners by practicing a total sub-contracting culture. This, he argued, was one of the biggest reasons for the failure of various policies to boost the economy of the Malays and Bumiputera.

“This leads to the second reason, whereby the total subcontracts has also caused Bumiputera companies being unable to expand their companies. Less than two per cent of Bumiputera companies in the country are large companies, while the majority of them are small or micro-sized entities.

“The third reason is the Bumiputera companies’ reliance on foreign workers. We do not train Bumiputera workers, and some of the foreigners move up the ranks and as a result, consume part of our economic cake,” said Tuan Abdul Rahman when debating the motion on economy at the Umno General Assembly today.

He said the fourth reason was the companies’ reliance on government contracts.

‘He urged Bumiputera companies which obtain government contracts to treat them as a responsibility to be fulfilled for the sake of the people.

He said there was a need to properly study why the Bumiputera still lagged behind, 46 years after policies to empower their economic status began with the New Economic Policy in 1970.