All ministries must implement the Bumiputera agenda
ANWAR Ibrahim delivering the keynote address at the SParK 2026: Business Transformation ceremony in Putrajaya yesterday. – MINGGUAN/FAISOL MUSTAFA
PUTRAJAYA: All ministries and government agencies will jointly bear the responsibility of implementing Bumiputera development as a national agenda.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the perception that the Bumiputera development agenda should only be carried by agencies such as the National Entrepreneurs Development Corporation (PUNB), the Council of Trust for the People (MARA), and Tekun Nasional is no longer relevant.
He said this approach is more effective than creating new Bumiputera agencies because the priority is to strengthen coordination and improve the effectiveness of existing agencies.
“That is why I am not inclined to set up new Bumiputera agencies, but I am inclined to ensure that these agencies are empowered. Other agencies, departments, and ministries must all have a Bumiputera agenda.
“Even if the Ministry of Digital; the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation; or the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture are led by non-Bumiputera ministers, they also have a responsibility to report every new event to empower Bumiputera companies.
“With this approach, through the cooperation of civil service leadership and the management of GLIC (government-linked investment companies) machinery and government agencies, it will ensure more meaningful growth,” he said when speaking at the SParK 2026: Business Transformation opening ceremony here yesterday.
SParK 2026 is PUNB's main platform to strengthen a more competitive, sustainable, and ready-to-scale Bumiputera entrepreneur ecosystem.
Anwar said every ministry and agency must ensure that policies formulated not only drive the country's economic growth but also guarantee fair distribution of opportunities including to Bumiputera.
He said every Bumiputera agency must move in an integrated and complementary manner, rather than operating separately.
Anwar also warned that the practice of lobbying and using support letters to obtain loans or assistance from Bumiputera agencies could undermine the effectiveness of institutions, besides contributing to business failures.
He said the government will not tolerate the old culture that prioritizes relationships or influence over the actual capability of an entrepreneur.
“If you use a support letter, that is already a step that will ruin the Bumiputera agency as we have inherited for decades,” he said. – UTUSAN
