Chided the government for ineffective policies to uplift the bumiputra community.
It is time for the government to change its approach to helping impoverished bumiputras as its method of distributing welfare aid and subsidies is no longer effective, says Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak).
Tajuddin said he was not against the distribution of aid during the Covid-19 pandemic but warned that Malaysia was becoming a welfare state.
“How much longer do you want to go with the welfare state (approach)? We have to move further. We want to be a developed country, a high-income country,” he said during his speech on Budget 2022 in Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 3).
The 2022 budget allocations announced on Friday included RM11.4 billion for Bumiputera programmes, of which RM6.6 billion is for education programmes.
Other allocations include RM4.8 billion for capacity-building programmes and RM100 million in matching grants for Bumiputera SMEs in the aerospace industry.
This led to former law minister Zaid Ibrahim remarking that it was “nice to be a Bumiputera”, noting the billions in allocations provided.
Tajuddin also called on MPs from all sides of the divide to “revolutionise their thinking” and “think big”, which left several MPs in stitches.
“We shouldn’t just ask the rakyat to change. We as leaders have to change, including me, I want to change,” he said.
Khalid Abdul Samad (PH-Shah Alam) then stood up and interjected: “That would be the most accurate.”
Several MPs were then heard sniggering.
Tajuddin then proceeded to conclude his speech, chiding the government over what he claimed were ineffective policies to uplift the bumiputra community.
“I urge the government, Finance Minister and the cabinet to come up with new policy aimed at developing the Bumiputera’s economy…because without it, the Malays might still be left behind 50 years from now,” he said.
Without mentioning names, Tajuddin referred to leaders who liked to criticise bumiputras.
“Some leaders and politicians always blame the Malays, saying that after giving the Malays equity, shares, lands and projects, they would sell all of the assets and concluded that this made the Malays lazy.
“Come on, man. If we are doing business, are we supposed to keep everything forever? We sell some assets off to expand our businesses. How can we make our businesses grow without some buying and selling?” he said.
The ongoing Parliament meeting which began on Oct 25 will sit for 32 days until Dec 16.