NGO Wants Bumi Equity Raised to 50%!

 

NGO Pertubuhan Negarawati Tanah Air has apparently called for Bumiputera equity ownership to be raised to 50% in line with the growing Bumiputera population. Demanding serious attention from the government of the day, Bibi Sunita Sakandar Khan who is chairman of the all-Malay women movement said the current 30% target should not remain an unfulfilled, long-standing objective.

 

While the Bumiputera Economic Transformation Plan 2035 (PuTERA35) has set the target of increasing Bumiputera equity ownership by individuals and Bumiputera mandated agencies to 30% by 2035, data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) for 2025 shows that Bumiputera make up 70.5 % of Malaysian citizens.

 

 

Given that Bumiputera constitute over 70% of the citizenry, it is reasonable for the government to assess whether a long-term economic aspiration higher than 30% is needed, the Parti Wawasan Negara supreme council member justified in her Budget 2027 wish-list to Malay language news portal TV Pertiwi. If Bumiputera form most citizens, why should the ambition for economic mastery stop at 30%? We don’t wish for the 30% figure to be passed down from one generation to the next as a target that is constantly cited but never realised. Unfortunately, I can’t see why 50% is easier to achieve?

 

Interestingly, Malay netizens felt ashamed with the NGO’s demand with one rightly pointed out that non-Bumi toiled hard without governmental assistance to earn a living. Another felt that the demand by Pertubuhan Negarawati Tanah Air was unjust even if the current 30% Bumiputera equity quota is mandated by law.

 

This is not a feasible policy from an investment perspective. If only 50% were to provide output while the balance is on a “free ride”, there will be less private investment (DDI or FDI) going forward. Further, no significant discussion is taking shape as to the current level, who benefits, and why has it failed to-date. The actual Bumiputra equity participation in the economy is probably 40-45%.

 

Madani must be clear on NEP 2.0 and work-out a plan that benefits underprivileged groups with educational, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities rather than a single figure that is neither achievable nor realistic.

 

Reference:

Malay women’s NGO wants Bumi equity raised to 50% in line with diminishing non-Bumi populace, Focus Malaysia, 14 Sept 2026