Political parties serious about nation-building should take a national unity and fact-based approach towards economic policy making instead of arousing divisive sentiments on the question for non-bumis to be granted RM1 for every RM10 budgetary allocation given to bumis. Fomenting extremist sentiments at the expense of the truth has been the modus operandi of opposition parties but those from the ruling unity government should not adopt a similar divisive stance.
To recap, the Perikatan Nasional’s 2022 Budget allocated RM11.4 billion to bumis and a mere RM345 million to non-bumis or only 3% of what is given to non-bumis. This mere 3% is grossly unfair and inadequate when non-bumis are substantial contributors to nation-building as taxpayers and human resource.
My suggestion of giving budgetary allocation to non-bumis of RM1 for every RM10 given to bumis does not take anything away from the bumis. Further, this non-bumi portion RM1 out of a total allocation RM11 is only 9% of the total sum allocated with the bumis receiving 91%. For example, if bumis are allocated RM 12 billion, then non-bumis should be allocated RM1.2 billion. This RM1.2 billion does not come out from the bumis RM12 billion, which remains untouched.
No one disputes the fact that the majority of those living in poverty in Malaysia are bumiputeras. The Statistics Department’s Poverty in Malaysia 2022 Report cites the national absolute poverty rate at 6.2%, with 7.9% for bumiputera, 1.9% for Chinese, 5.4 % for Indians, and 6.5% for other Malaysians.
In other words the absolute poverty rate for bumis is 4.2 times worse than Chinese, 1.5 times worse than Indians and 1.2 times worse than other Malaysians. This disparity is the reason why I suggested giving bumis budgetary allocation 10 times more compared to non-bumis with non-bumis getting 10% of that received by bumis. This 10 times more budgetary allocation for bumis far exceeds the worst disparity of absolute poverty rate between bumis and Chinese of 4.2 times.
Even the 2022 household incidence of absolute poverty, bumis make up 85.2%, with non-bumis 14.8% or 5.8 times more bumis than non-bumis. The budgetary allocation for bumis that is 10 times more than non-bumi more than adequately covers that requirement to assist bumis out of poverty.
The previous 3% or 33 times more budgetary allocation for bumis compared to non-bumis should be revised to 10% or 10 times. This would be more equitable and reasonable by balancing the moral imperative to redress poverty amongst bumis without depriving other citizens of their just dues.
Lim Guan Eng
MP for Bagan
