
Gov't to advance Bumiputera economic agenda
KUALA LUMPUR: The government remains firmly committed to supporting and strengthening policies and initiatives aligned with Bumiputera economic aspirations, to ensure lasting benefits for both current and future generations.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said a follow-up discussion with key stakeholders will be held this Friday to further refine the direction and implementation of the agenda.
'As a nation that upholds balance and stability as foundations of development, efforts to narrow economic disparities between communities must be pursued with strong and coordinated commitment, across ministries, agencies, and the private sector,' he said in a Facebook post today.
Ahmad Zahid, who chaired the 2024 Bumiputera Economic Congress (KEB), said this after reviewing a presentation by Economic Ministry secretary-general Datuk Nor Azmie Diron on the 'One-Year Post-KEB 2024 Retreat' at his office today.
Held from Feb 29 to March 2 last year, KEB 2024 outlined more than 80 resolutions aimed at enhancing Bumiputera socio-economic empowerment.
These resolutions were the result of engagement sessions conducted through 10 clusters covering various key areas during the three-day congress.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

The Star
44 minutes ago
- The Star
‘No travel ban on Fahmi Reza'
Clearing the air: Razarudin said the matter is being reviewed, with steps to be taken to refine existing procedures. — Bernama KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Aman has made clear that there is no official travel restriction on Fahmi Reza amid claims from the artist that he had been prevented from travelling abroad. The explanation came about following a statement from the Prime Minister's Office yesterday, asking the police to look into the matter. Fahmi, who bills himself as a 'political graphic designer', had said that he was stopped by immigration officers at KL Inter-national Airport 2 (KLIA2) on Saturday when he wanted to board a flight to Singapore. But Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain indicated yesterday that there is no official travel restriction on Fahmi, though his name is on a movement monitoring list for internal records and reference purposes by the police due to ongoing investigations involving him. 'However, it must be emphasised that this list does not imply any restrictions but is part of standard monitoring procedures implemented by the authorities,' he said in a statement, as reported by Bernama. Razarudin said the confusion occurred during the exit clearance process on Saturday, resulting in the erroneous issuance of a movement restriction order, adding that the matter is being reviewed with appropriate steps to be taken to refine existing procedures. He said the police remained committed to protecting and respecting the freedom of movement of every Malaysian 'and the individual concerned is free to travel in and out of the country as usual, subject to any regulations set by the Immigration Department and other relevant laws'. Earlier yesterday, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that the government upholds individual freedom as long as they do not compromise national security or violate existing laws. 'As such, the police must provide further clarification regarding this matter,' said the statement. On Saturday, Fahmi wrote on Facebook that he had wanted to go to Singapore for a two-day trip to attend a concert. However, he said he was stopped at the immigration counter at KLIA2 and was told that Bukit Aman has not permitted him to go overseas. Following Razarudin's statement yesterday, Fahmi issued a response, saying that the explanation from the various authorities over the matter indicated that they were pointing fingers at one another. 'I do not see any party from the government being brave enough to take responsibility for their mistake which restricted my freedom to travel,' he said. 'It is easy to say that there is no official restriction. But the reality is I got barred. I still could not travel abroad. I have been denied my right as a citizen,' he said. 'You always tell me to use the right channel, right? OK, we meet in court,' he said.


Borneo Post
2 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Modern Living Home Expo draws over 60,000 visitors on last day
Hilmy (second right) and Tiong (fourth right) take a group photo during the event. — Photo by Frankie Junau KUCHING (June 9): The Modern Living Home Expo attracted over 60,000 visitors on its final day yesterday. According to organising committee chairman Nicholas Tiong, the three-day event at Metrocity Convention Centre here surpassed the turnout recorded at the previous expo held earlier in February at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching. 'As of midday, we welcomed more than 60,000 visitors to the expo, exceeding the previous record of around 40,000. I am confident the number will continue to rise by this event, as many people tend to make their way to the venue during the final hours to take advantage of exclusive discounts from exhibitors,' he told reporters when met yesterday. The exhibition featured 300 booths, showcasing the offerings of 80 companies from across Kuching. These included the latest electrical appliances, home care essentials, DIY tools, and a variety of modern furniture. 'We chose Metrocity due to its strategic location and ease of access for the public, which is one of the key reasons for the significant increase in visitor numbers compared to the previous venue,' said Tiong. Meanwhile, Kuching North Datuk Bandar Dato Hilmy Othman, who visited the exhibition, expressed strong support for the organiser's initiative in hosting it. 'We truly welcome efforts such as this, as they help revitalise the local economy, especially in areas under DBKU's (Kuching North City Commission) administration,' he said, adding that DBKU would assist the organisers with any needs to facilitate similar events in the future. 'Following the post-Covid recovery, economic activities are beginning to thrive once again. We must continue to nurture economic opportunities that generate income for exhibitors and those indirectly involved in the local economic ecosystem. 'I have been informed that public response to this expo has been very encouraging, and I hope to see more such activities held here at MCCC, as they can generate greater business and employment opportunities for our community,' Hilmy said. exhibition lead Modern Living Home Expo Nicholas Tiong

The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Talent exodus fuels growing brain drain
JAKARTA: Indonesia has seen an increasing outflow of skilled young adults seeking work abroad in a brain drain phenomenon experts attribute to concern around job opportunities within the country. Twenty-five-year-old political science graduate Fikri Haikal obtained a working holiday visa (WHV) in Australia and now makes a living as a poultry factory worker. 'I never thought I would be a factory worker,' he said, explaining that his original plan had been to go abroad for higher education, but he failed to get a scholarship, and peer influence then convinced him to join the WHV programme instead. He had searched and applied for jobs in Indonesia, Fikri said, but received no job offers. 'Meanwhile, in Australia, securing a job is easy because there is a shortage of labour in certain sectors, such as in manufacturing,' he told The Jakarta Post on May 23. Indonesians are the largest citizenship group in Australia's WHV programme, with the number of granted visas surging from 2,984 in the 2022 to 2023 period to 4,285 in 2023 to 2024, according to the Australian Department of Home Affairs. On social media, graduates and young professionals have been sharing their experiences with the WHV programme, citing better pay and quality of life, though some caution that 'it is not as easy as it looks'. Hashtag #KaburAjaDulu (Just get out first) has been gaining traction on social media this year as frustration and pessimism mount over the country's economic situation and work conditions, encouraging people to seek better jobs abroad. The blue-collar job in Australia provides Fikri with a salary exceeding his living costs, in addition to access to public facilities and a diverse sociocultural experience. On the other side of the globe, Viona Maharani, a graduate from a vocational tourism college in Bali, is interning in the hospitality industry after recently relocating to the United States. With prior experience as a casual worker at three five-star hotels in Bali, Viona sought to develop her career. Acquaintances of hers who had worked abroad had told her that the United States offered better opportunities for income and skill development.' I will highly (value opportunities) to keep enriching my experience of working abroad, whether that will continue to be in the United States or another country,' Vio told the Post yesterday. Experts say this brain drain, or the large-scale emigration of highly educated graduates and skilled professionals in search of better opportunities and a higher standard of living, threatens economic growth if not handled properly. Centre of Reform on Economics (Core) Indonesia executive director Mohammad Faisal warned that a prolonged brain drain could lead to the country losing its best talent, who would otherwise contribute to job creation at home by helping to attract investment and driving technological progress. Limited job opportunities mean the country's skilled workforce is not optimally absorbed, he said, as reflected in a shrinking share of formal compared with informal employment. A recent report published by Core finds Indonesia lagging other countries of South-East Asia when it comes to youth employment, or those aged 15 to 24. Last year, the International Labour Organisation estimated that the youth unemployment rate in Indonesia stood at 13.1%, higher than in peer countries like India, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand. A biannual survey published earlier this month by Statistics Indonesia put youth unemployment at 16.16%, more than three times the overall unemployment rate of 4.76%. According to the Core report, the stagnating youth employment reflects a failure to tap into the country's demographic dividend, with Indonesia now at risk of a demographic paradox: 'getting old before getting rich'. Tadjuddin Noer Effendi, a labour expert at Gadjah Mada University or UGM, expressed doubt about the 'Golden Indonesia' vision of turning the country into one of the world's largest economies by 2045, given that skilled talent was moving abroad. 'The brain drain can slow down innovation and hinders technological development, which ultimately affects economic competitiveness,' he explained to the Post on May 22. Tadjuddin also argued that the brain drain was driven by increasing labour market uncertainty amid a lack of job opportunities and a surge in layoffs this year, as well as by widespread corruption and extortion disrupting the investment climate. He warned that the emigration of skilled workers could leave sectors like health, technology and education facing labour shortages, and should more young and productive workers move overseas, the country risked being left with an ageing population. However, Tajuddin noted a silver lining in the fact that migrants were often 'heroes of foreign exchange'. Often well paid, Indonesian skilled workers living abroad could contribute to an increase in foreign exchange through remittances. Migrants have long contributed significantly to the country's foreign exchange receipts, with the remittance inflow rising 13% to 253 trillion rupiah (US$15.57bil) last year, according to the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency. Tajuddin also suggested that the government seize the opportunity of maximising the potential of brain gain, which would require providing adequate innovation infrastructure and facilities to attract and retain skilled talent. 'In the future, if the government can invite Indonesians living abroad back to Indonesia, it will be a huge gain, because they have plenty of experience and knowledge from abroad,' Tajuddin said. — The Jakarta Post/ANN