UMNO AGM An Umno delegate has urged his party to take the human resource minister’s post from its BN ally, Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP).

Speaking on the last day of the Umno general assembly this morning, Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin said this was needed to address the private sector's discrimination against Malays.

"I strongly condemn the attitude of the private and corporate sector for not contributing to socio-economic balance.

"Perhaps the time has come for the human resource minister’s post to be given back to Umno in the hope that the Malay agenda can be more clearly championed by the ministry," he said when debating the president's policy speech on economy.

After the 13th general election, the position was given to SUPP deputy president Richard Riot Jaem ( right ) as part of an increased quota for Sarawak and Sabah due to strong electoral support in the two Borneo states.

Shaiful Hazizy cited a 2012 research paper by academics Lee Hwok Aun and Dr Muhammad Abdul Khalid which found that Malays were less likely to be called up for interviews by the private sector after submitting their resume.

NEP 2.0 needed

 
He also quoted a Chr Michelsen Institute finding in 2005 which  discovered that bumiputera get 32 percent less pay compared with the Chinese despite similar qualifications.
 
"They (private sector) have never helped or cared about the racial imbalance in the corporate sector," he said.
 
Shaiful Hazizy said that the government had in the past ensured equitable distribution for lower income groups through the New Economic Policy (NEP).
 
As such, he urged a revival of the race-based affirmative action policy to help Umno's support base, which are mostly in rural areas.

"I will not hesitate to call for the reincarnation of the NEP, with a new face, new approach and new spirit.
 
"Perhaps we can call the new NEP as NEP 2.0, which would surely be more meaningful to the rakyat compared to Bersih 2.0," he said.
 
Under the proposed NEP 2.0, Shaiful Hazizy proposed the study and abolition of all economic policies that do not help the growth and development of the Malay community.
 
He also urged the creation of Malay economic leaders in the field of finance and real estate as well as boosting Malay and Indian chief executive officers in the corporate and private sector.

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