Politics · Malaysia Bureau
DAP's Guan Eng says PM unmoved on non-Bumi funding, vows to persist
DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng says his two-year campaign to convince Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to open up bumiputera-reserved funding to non-indigenous businesses has made little headway. However, the veteran politician pledged to continue pressing the issue.
LSN Malaysia ·
KUALA LUMPUR — DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng acknowledged on Tuesday that his sustained efforts over the past two years to persuade Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to relax bumiputera funding restrictions have not yielded tangible results.
Despite the apparent impasse, Guan Eng signalled his determination to maintain pressure on the federal leadership to reconsider the matter. The DAP politician has repeatedly advocated for non-indigenous business owners to gain access to development funds currently reserved exclusively for bumiputera entrepreneurs.
The issue remains contentious within the federal government, with divergent views among coalition partners on how to balance affirmative action policies with economic inclusivity. Guan Eng's comments reflect ongoing tensions within the unity government over implementation of race-based economic policies.
The DAP, which has long advocated for needs-based rather than race-based assistance programmes, continues to lobby allies in the Pakatan Harapan coalition on the matter. Guan Eng's latest remarks underscore the challenge of achieving consensus on sensitive economic and social policies within Malaysia's multi-ethnic governing coalition.