Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said there is no need to review Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, which outlines “bumiputera” privileges.
He said this in response to calls by a PKR lawmaker for the government to review whether Article 153 was working as intended.
“We will defend the Federal Constitution, including Article 153.
“There is no need to discuss it, it’s in the Constitution,” Anwar told reporters briefly in Kuala Lumpur today.
Previously, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim called on the upcoming Bumiputera Economic Congress to review whether Article 153 was actually helping bumiputera or had only benefited a select few elites to the detriment of others.
Article 153 of the Federal Constitution states that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is responsible for safeguarding the “special position” of the Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak, including quotas for education, scholarships, public service positions, and licenses and permits for business.
Of note, Article 153 also states that the king is responsible for safeguarding the “legitimate interests of other communities” in accordance with the article.
The article is often referred to as the bumiputera privileges, although the Federal Constitution, as Hassan notes, does not actually define what is a bumiputera, but rather only the Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak.
Hassan, in a statement on Sunday, questioned if the policy has been hijacked and manipulated by some bumiputera elites.
Besides reviewing bumiputera privileges, Hassan also called on the economic congress to look into the notion of race-based policies.
He said with the upcoming congress, the focus should be on the B60 class – which is the majority of the people who need support and economic assistance – if the congress wants to be honestly inclusive.
The congress is scheduled to take place from Feb 29 to March 2.
He also expressed his hope that the congress would be the last bumiputera congress and rebranded as the Malaysian Citizens Economic Congress.
On Feb 15, Anwar said the congress would be more inclusive with the expected participation from the Chinese and Indian communities to help tackle the problem of poverty in addition to discussing issues related to the bumiputera economy. – Malaysiakini