More Malay millionaires needed to safeguard Islam, says Umno delegate
Md Izwan, TMI
An Umno Pandan delegate said today that more Malay millionaires are needed to protect the dignity of Islam.
Urging the government to produce more millionaires, Datuk Mohd Haniff Koslan also said the number of Malay millionaires was smaller than those from other races with only nine Malays among the top 50 millionaires in the country.
“Malay millionaires are important as Malays are Muslim. When Malays are rich, Islam will be protected,” he said when debating the party president’s speech at the Umno General Assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre.
Mohd Haniff urged that government-linked companies (GLCs) play a primary role in producing more Malay millionaires.
“If it is possible, I would like to suggest that GLCs produce more Malay millionaires,” he said.
He also said the failure to produce more millionaires should not be blamed on the government or the laziness of the Malay community.
“Failures are not due to the laziness of Malays. The Malays are expected to be farmers, therefore starting a business is difficult,” he added.
Mohd Haniff had recently urged the government to audit private companies that were not Malay-owned as the opportunities given to the Bumiputeras in this sector were still very few.
His statement echoed the argument by Minister in Prime Minister’s office Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar (pic) who had blamed the private sector for discriminating against Bumiputeras.
However, critics have denied this contention, saying the private sector prioritised meritocracy and took quality into account when employing staff.
