Given concerns that the country’s business community is polarised along racial lines, the government is attempting to bridge the divide by mooting a 1Malaysia association for young entrepreneurs of all races.

mustafa mohamed and malay chamber of commerce president syed ali ali-attas Making this suggestion today, International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed ( left ) suggested that such an association be set up to forge a multiracial and “genuine” partnership between young businessmen and professionals.

“Previously, everyone went their separate ways. The Malays stick with their own and the Chinese with theirs, and so forth. This is unhealthy,” he told a press conference after opening a 10th Malaysia Plan seminar at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

The seminar was jointly-organised by the Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia and the body’s research and development arm Yayasan Kajian dan Pembangunan.

However, when asked what he thought had brought about the polarisation plaguing the business community, Mustapa was stumped for an answer.

“Maybe it was the system, or the education. I don’t know. But I see this as a problem. Something has to be done about it,” he added.

While the association is still at its conceptualisation stage, Mustapa said his ministry is targeting professionals who are below 40 across the various industries.

“We are looking for everyone, whether it’s (those in) banking or consulting firms or logistics,” he said.

The ministry will be facilitating the formation of the association, although its management will be under National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCIM), he added.

“This time, we want something effective. We want to put a stop to the culture of sleeping partners,” he said.

On the NCCIM, Mustapa said that its leadership of the is “getting old” and called for the association to seek to attract more young blood.

Mustapa defends NEP

Earlier in his opening address to the seminar, however, Mustapa had taken a contrasting stance when addressing the issue of Malay special privileges and the New Economic Policy (NEP).

The people, especially Malays, should not disregard the NEP because it had brought about “many achievements” since its inception in 1971, said Mustapa.

“With the NEP, we have many successful government-linked companies like Tabung Haji and Permodalan Nasional Berhad. We have also managed to narrow the gap between bumiputera and non-bumiputera in the education sector,” said the minister.

“It breaks my heart when I hear that Malays say they don’t need the NEP,” he told the predominantly Malay audience.

Non-bumiputeras, meanwhile, have to accept the “reality” that Malays have rights to affirmative action, Mustapa said further.

“We have the rights to ask for these things because we are dominant. The non-Malays will have to accept this as a reality. The Prime Minister (Najib Abdul Razak) has his responsibilities to create a ‘right balance’ between all the races,” he said.

In his speech, Mustapa also explained to the participants of the government’s move away from protectionist measures.

“People come up to me and ask me why it’s hard (for the government) to protect (Malaysian) goods.

“Yes, we used to implement tariffs and taxes on foreign products. But the local businesspersons have to understand that if our taxes are too high, no one would visit Malaysia.

“If we make it difficult for foreign investors, they wouldn’t want to come to the country and open up their factories, and then Malaysians won’t have jobs.

“It is the principle of reciprocity. If we want to go to their country and do business, we also have to allow them to come here. We cannot stop everything,” he said.

Mind your language on race, says ex-IGP