KUALA LUMPUR: The government has been asked to explain the status of the Bumiputera empowerment unit supposedly ordered to be set-up at all ministries in the federal administration.
Bumiputera Economic Congress (KEB) secretariat's Education Reformation and Human Capital cluster chairman Tan Sri Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali claimed that instructions for all ministries to establish the so-called unit were reflected in two government circulars.
One of the circulars, Noor Azlan said, was signed by the former Chief Secretary to the Government, the late Tan Sri Ali Hamsa, in 2013, followed by another circular in 2022 signed by the present Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali.
"In these two government circulars, signed by the former and present Chief Secretary to the Government, it instructed all ministries to set up a Bumiputera Empowerment Unit.
"The unit has nothing to do with giving out contracts...not at all. The unit was supposed to come out with a plan by the respective ministries to empower Bumiputeras in their development programmes and initiatives.
"For example, how will Mosti (Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry) ensure the Bumiputeras will catch up with science and technology or what is the plan in place by the Transport Ministry to encourage greater participation among Bumiputeras in the logistics sector," Noor Azlan said when delivering his closing remarks at a symposium here today.
The symposium is being held in the running of the three-day-long KEB, which will take place at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre in Putrajaya near here starting Feb 29.
Present during the event was Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
Noor Azlan said this when he highlighted the need for KEB to have a permanent secretary to check and monitor all programmes and initiatives rolled out by the government for the Bumiputera business community in the country.
"We must be serious about this...We must demand this in this upcoming KEB. If we truly want to champion (greater economic empowerment for the Bumiputera), we must have a strong commitment to do so.
"And this thing (the uncertainty over the existence of the Bumiputera empowerment unit) will not happen if we have a secretariat to monitor such a development," he said.
Noor Azlan, who is also the former Economic Action Council executive director, said that Bumiputeras should not be apologetic when upholding their rights since the matter is enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
Therefore, he said, it is the nation's responsibility to ensure that matters related to the Bumiputera agenda will be implemented accordingly and meet its objectives and goals.
"When we look at 70 per cent of the population in the country, if they are successful and comfortable with their lives, I am very confident that the remaining 30 percent of the population will feel the same," he said.