AGENCIES and their programmes’ weakness in focus and implementation has led to the continued failure to develop Bumiputera entrepreneurs, said a Malay Economic Action Council member.

Board member Mohd Nizam Mahshar said agencies have no ratings or benchmarks to ensure their effectiveness, and many of their functions overlap.

“There were tens of agencies during the administration of Najib Razak, who had said billions of ringgit were spent on entrepreneurs, especially Bumiputeras. But, the effort was not successful, as many of the programmes lacked substance.

“The problem is, there is no assessment of the outcomes of our programmes.

“Previously, various agencies called for tens of millions to be spent on entrepreneurs, but the results have been lacking.

“Nobody checks whether the programmes are successful,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

The socio-economic researcher from Penang Institute, a research body under the state government, said many entrepreneurship programmes do not meet entrepreneurs’ needs.

“There are many ‘syok sendiri’ (self-serving) programmes. That is the problem.

“The agencies that supposedly want to help entrepreneurs have been hawking the same stories to justify their success.”

Some of the controversial programmes cited by Nizam are Tekun Nasional, Tunas Usahawan Nasional Bhd, and the listing of small and medium enterprises via the Entrepreneur Accelerator Platform.

In July last year, the Auditor-General’s Report revealed that Tekun had reported losses amounting to RM209.28 million, and poor corporate management was cited as one of the reasons.

The agency had failed to implement several of its core programmes after spending RM872,035.

Nizam also listed the Local to Global Corporation Ascend 800 incentive programme and Express Contract Financing Scheme by Mara as failed efforts.

He said on the other hand, meaningful programmmes, such as Amanah Ikhtiar, were overshadowed by outlandish events, like the Jom Heboh entrepreneur festival, during the former administration.

“Millions were spent to get people to attend such festivals. But, they didn’t resolve the issues faced by entrepreneurs.”

In an April 2009 cabinet reshuffle, Najib had abolished the Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Ministry, shifting its functions to other ministries.

It was then that Mara was placed under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.

In addition, the State Economic Development Corporation, Urban Development Authority, Perbadanan Nasional Bhd and Bank Rakyat were moved to be under the purview of the Finance Ministry.

The reshuffle also saw the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board being placed under the Prime Minister’s Office, and the Contractors Service Centre shifted to be under the Works Ministry.

Nizam, who is also Malaysia Malay Assembly Hall secretary-general, said the primary challenge for Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Mohd Redzuan Yusof is to reorganise the agencies again.

“The ministries should not waste funds to launch programme after programme only to see them fail.” – July 15, 2018.