KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad justified his approach to economic policies, arguing that the distribution of opportunities needed to extend beyond the Malay community for the overall success of the nation.
He acknowledged that, besides incentives for the Malays, other communities also received assistance from the government to contribute to building the country's economy.
During the Keluar Sekejap podcast, hosted by former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan, Dr Mahathir delved into various issues, including his economic policies and responses to criticism.
This was amid discussion on why the Malays still failed after being given economic opportunities through the New Economic Policy (NEP).
"If we expand the economic 'cake', to whom do we give it to? If we want to give it all to the Malays, we can't, because they might not succeed at all.
"That's why besides incentives for the Malays, others cannot be put aside. Because we want to build the country's economy. If they (non-Malays) are not given any chance at all, and the Malays fail, Malaysia will fail," he said.
The conversation then turned to the people's criticism regarding the success of Chinese tycoons during Dr Mahathir's administration.
He responded by emphasising the importance of individual capability, stating that the success of the chosen individuals was based on perceived potential.
"But they weren't as successful as the Chinese, because they (the chosen ones) were just starting in this industry (business sector).
"The Chinese have a culture rooted 2,000 years ago. They have a pursuit to success. The Malays just entered when the NEP was introduced," he said.
During the podcast, Dr Mahathir also addressed accusations of cronyism during his tenure as prime minister.
He said the government at the time saw potential in some of the young businessmen which led to such accusations.
"If I give it to those who never succeeded, most likely they will fail. That's why we chose two or three people, actually almost 10 people, that I think have the potential to be successful. They were given the opportunities, and they succeeded," he said.
The podcast covered a range of topics, including Dr Mahathir's ethno-nationalist views, his political career, and experiences working with other political figures, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.