PUTRAJAYA: The Bumiputera Economic Congress (KEB) 2024 serves as a platform to revitalise the economy of the community so that its restructuring can be carried out more transparently and openly.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said even though efforts to empower the Bumiputera economy have been in place since 1965, existing policies need to be transformed in line with global economic and digital advancements.
"KEB 2024 is a method for us to enlarge the national economic cake, not to cut it into smaller pieces, but to restructure it.
"This congress is conducted to ensure that the aspirations of the New Economic Policy (NEP) and KEB to restructure our society are carried out more transparently and openly, hence the participation of business councils from various backgrounds, ethnicities, and groups especially in Sabah and Sarawak," he said.
He said this when met after attending the opening ceremony of KEB 2024 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) here today.
Mohamad said the Bumiputera Economic Transformation (TEB) was proposed as a policy to move forward, not to replace NEP.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, meanwhile, said KEB 2024 was a new means of preparation for the Bumiputera community to face global economic challenges.
"I see that the new approach and resolutions to be adopted later require a detailed study," she said.
Meanwhile, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) chief executive officer Dr Tricia Yeoh said KEB 2024 was inclusive because the development of the country's economy involves not only the Bumiputera but also other minority ethnic groups.
"As a think tank, Ideas believes the development of the Bumiputera economy is important considering that the community is the majority in this country... if it does not progress in various fields, how can this country develop rapidly?
"Among the efforts that minority groups in this country can undertake to empower the Bumiputera economy is by involving successful companies or businesses by providing support, training, and mentoring for Bumiputera-owned businesses," she said.
Meanwhile, another observer from the Economy Ministry, Isaac Rabindranath, believes that the organisation of KEB 2024, which is open to all ethnicities, proves the government's transparency.
He said he was also excited about Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's speech, which he described as very inclusive.
"I believe the input, feedback, and presentations presented are important for the direction of our country, especially the involvement of all segments of society regardless of ethnicity and race.
"Furthermore, the ethnic and group balance that I heard in the deputy prime minister's message is inclusive and this shows the balance displayed by the government so that equality and justice can be achieved together by all segments of society," he said.
