Malays aren’t poor, they just elect poor quality leaders, says Zaid

[superadmin]

PETALING JAYA: A former minister says Malays as a whole are no longer poverty-stricken though the community is “poor” in the sense it lacks good leaders and institutions.

In a Facebook post, former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim questioned the expectations of those calling for new Bumiputera affirmative action policies.

“What sort of special upliftment do they expect the Malays to get year in year out? A race-based budget is just not done anywhere else in the world – and yet the Malays are still poor?

“The truth is Malays are not poor anymore. There are some who are but there are other poor people in the country too. Why not talk about them?”

Zaid said many Malays were doing very well and this could be seen from the multitudes of billboards promoting products of Malay-owned businesses and direct-selling companies, by the large number of Malays who play golf at country clubs, and by the ability of many Malays to buy branded items at premium outlets.

But, he said, the community had poor quality leaders who made bad decisions for selfish reasons.

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