KUALA LUMPUR: The government will create more quality economic opportunities in the rural areas, the prime minister said.

Once this was done, the government hoped to see more Malay professionals and entrepreneurs in these areas, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

He said the number of Malay professionals still lagged behind their non-Bumiputera counterparts, especially in the rural areas.

"The fact we still do not have many (Malay) professionals shows that we must redouble our efforts."

"For me personally, it is a frustrating situation," he said at the opening of the Bumiputera Economic Convention 2008 at the Putra World Trade Centre yesterday.
Themed "Boosting the Bumiputera Economy", the two-day convention is jointly organised by Malay economic grouping Gagasan Badan Ekonomi Melayu (Gabem) and Umno Youth.

The prime minister said most of the economic activity in the rural areas was agro-based, while the more urban areas focused on services.

"Unless the Malays help develop themselves by thinking out of the box to market their products, they will remain as they are now."

Abdullah said this was one reason the Malays in the larger towns and cities were more successful.

"This imbalance must be rectified or else the Malays in the rural areas will continue to lose out."

This in turn would cause further resentment as long as the 30 per cent target of Bumiputera economic participation was not achieved, he said.

Gabem chairman Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Chik, meanwhile, said the organisers hoped to come up with resolutions that would help the government tackle the current economic problems.

"We hope to provide suggestions, and perhaps even solutions, on how the fuel crisis, food security and inflation can be tackled."