PUTRAJAYA must enact a new law to punish economic saboteurs so that Bumiputera businessmen do not continue to regress due to the greed of a powerful few, said Abu Kassim Mohamed.

Speaking at the “Future of Bumiputeras and the Nation Congress” today, the chief of the National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption (GIACC) said many Bumiputera businessmen had lost out due to corruption and misconduct at the top level.

“Policies to strengthen the Bumiputera have failed as a result of this. We’ve had cases of cronyism, Ali Baba contracts, tender monopoly and such.

“These people have betrayed the rights and privileges accorded to them by the federal constitution but we are unable to punish them.

“To stop this and to punish these people from continuing to be obstacles to Bumiputera businessmen from becoming successful and enjoying the government policies, we need to have a new law.”

In one example, Abu Kassim said 23 projects worth RM426 million were given to Bumiputeras for rural and regional development in 2014-2016.

“But the actual sub-contractors for work done only received 65%, or RM276.9 million of the jobs while the remaining 35% (RM149.1 million) did not reach the public,” said Abu Kassim.

He said 7% (RM29.8 million) of the work went to non-Bumiputera sub-contractors while 15% (RM63.9 million) went to lobbyists. 

“Another 13% (RM55.4 million) went for ‘other expenses’.”

Abu Kassim said the Bumiputera economy had been “sabotaged” by “Ali Baba” partnerships, monopoly of tenders and wrongful transference of tenders.

He said after 40 years of trying to raise the Malays but failing because of such practices, it was time for laws against economic sabotage. 

“What was normal in the past, should not be normal today and the future. In the 1970-1990s the Ali Baba culture was normal as not many Malays were in business but that’s not true today as many are in business.”

Abu Kassim also gave examples of how government contracts were hijacked by lobbyists and people with connections.

He said a lot of government money had been siphoned off from these contracts, or paid to third parties for the use of their companies to secure the contracts.

As a result, he said, not only was the quality of the work unsatisfactory, many capable Bumi contractors were also left out.

“We need to introduce this new law. We can’t keep doing the same things and hope to achieve something new.

“The law must cover corruption, monopoly, criminal breach of trust, Ali Baba contractors, tender abuses, use of just the name of a Bumi company… everything. We must make sure the aims of the Bumiputera policy are strictly adhered to.”

Abu Kassim said the new government had agreed to enact the misconduct in public office law that will punish public servants and politicians who knowingly aid wrongdoing.

“Past norms need not be the norm of today. The new norm is that the government will only support capable Bumiputera businessmen,” he said. –  September 1, 2018.