SHAH ALAM: The 50 per cent allocation of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) contracts to qualified Bumiputera companies should be emulated in future mega projects by the Federal government.
Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan said the successful completion of MRT's Sungai Buloh - Kajang Line (MRT-SBK) had proven the ability of Bumiputera companies to take on major construction projects and compete with non-Bumi contractors.
He said future mega projects including the development of the Tun Razak Exchange, Bandar Malaysia, Rapid Pengerang, East Coast Rail Line (ECRL) and Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) should use the MRT’s economic model as a benchmark in helping the Bumiputera.
“I suggest that future government projects see a minimum of 50 per cent of the respective contracts awarded to Bumiputera-owned companies.
“This would help boost the Bumiputera's economy and their competitiveness,” he told a press conference in Section 16, here today.
Ahmad, who spoke to reporters after launching Indkom Engineering Sdn Bhd's Productivity Day, was commenting on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's speech during the MRT-SBK launch on Thursday in which he had said that participation of Bumiputera companies in the project had exceeded the initial target of 50 per cent.
Earlier in his speech at Indkom Engineering's factory, Ahmad said the award of mega project contracts worth billions of Ringgit was a first in Malaysia.
He said the initiative came from Najib's out-of-the-box thinking to assist the Bumiputera via the Bumiputera Economic Council, where monthly meetings are chaired by the prime minister.
On the Federal government's wish to make Malaysia among the world's top 20 countries, Ahmad said he believed that the status can be achieved in five years if all companies, government agencies and the people work hard to increase the country's productivity, and make it as a national movement to elevate Malaysia's status.
He said it was not a far-fetched aim, as Malaysia had previously entered the top 20 list in the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report.