Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has urged ethnic Malays to embrace meritocracy and give up the "crutches" of special government aid, a report said today.

Under a 30-year-old affirmative action programme, Malays and other indigenous groups collectively known as "bumiputra" are given economic, education and other benefits to help narrow the wealth gap with the ethnic Chinese.

"The time has come for us to give up the crutches and start walking independently," Abdullah was quoted as saying by the Sunday Star at a ruling party convention in southern Malaysia's Johor state over the weekend.

"We must embrace meritocracy positively and view it as an opportunity to gain dignity for the community by proving we can achieve success on our own merit."

Abdullah, the anointed successor of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, urged the Malay community to think positively of their own ability.

The Malays had achieved many successes since Malaysia's independence in 1967 and while the percentage was still far from satisfactory, it proved they could excel through hard work, he added.

Face competition head on

Johor chief minister Abdul Ghani Othman echoed Abdullah's call for meritocracy.

"We have to face competition head on and meritocracy will drive us towards becoming more committed, ambitious and hardworking to achieve success," he said.

The government earlier this year introduced a meritocracy-based rule for entry into public universities, which previously reserved a 55 percent quota for bumiputeras, 35 percent for Chinese and 10 percent for Indians as part of the affirmative action program.

Malays and other indigenous groups make up 65 percent of Malaysia's population of 23 million, Chinese 26 percent and Indians seven percent.