BN MP slams govt over ‘sweet’ promises

Tarani Palani

A backbencher from Sabah complains that there are no successful bumiputera businessmen from East Malaysia.

KUALA LUMPUR: Breaking from convention, a Barisan Nasional backbencher today took a deputy minister to task over the lack of opportunities for bumiputeras in Sabah and Sarawak.

Zeroing in on Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department SK Devamany, Abdul Ghapur Salleh said while the government made sweet promises, the end result was naught.

Even after 40 years since Sabah became a part of Malaysia, he said there was no successful bumiputera from the state.

The issue cropped up when Mahfuz Omar (Pokok Sena-PAS) had questioned the government’s reasons for setting up the Bumiputera Leadership Agenda (Teraju).

Devamany replied that Teraju was set up to monitor and administer the Bumiputera Agenda Action Council (MTAB) which strengthens the participation of bumiputera in economic activities.

Abdul Ghapur then stood up and said that these were mere promises as there was an apparent lack of succesful bumiputeras from Sabah and Sarawak.

“(These are) ‘Indah khabar dari rupa’ (more promises than substance)…The bumiputera equity in Sabah is zero, zero. Name me two bumiputeras (from East Malaysia) who are successful in business,” he said.

Mahfuz then interjected and quipped, “Musa Aman and Taib Mahmud, one (from Sabah) and one (from) Sarawak.” The PAS MP was referring to the chief ministers of both states.

In defence, Devamany said that he had never made sweet promises. “Saya tak pernah menanam tebu di bibir.”

He added that it was difficult to mention names as there were too many successful people from East Malaysia.

Devamany also said that he would personally ensure that the people in Sabah benefitted from the programme.