23-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
PuTERA35 delivers early gains for Bumiputera economy
PUTRAJAYA: The Bumiputera Economic Transformation Plan 2035 (PuTERA35) has shown encouraging progress across various strategic programmes aimed at empowering the Bumiputera economy nationwide.
Chief Executive Officer of the Bumiputera Agenda Steering Unit (Teraju), Junady Nawawi, said that within nine months of PuTERA35's launch, the plan has delivered significant impact in the areas of entrepreneurship, education, investment, and regional development.
This includes the support of 747 new entrepreneurs and 1,436 beneficiaries through rural entrepreneurship development programmes, which encompass training, TVET, business expansion, marketing, and digitalisation.
"A wide range of input was taken into account in shaping the content of PuTERA35, encompassing both ongoing and new efforts, with a focus on ensuring balanced and inclusive development across all segments of the Bumiputera community.
"With a programme and project implementation success rate of over 15 per cent under PuTERA35, this demonstrates that an integrated, data-driven approach can effectively enhance Bumiputera participation in the national economy," he said during the One-Year Retreat Session following the 2024 Bumiputera Economic Congress.
Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Deputy Minister of Economy Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib, and Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) Chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
Junady said that under PuTERA35's competitiveness enhancement driver, Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad (PUNB) had approved RM67.79 million in financing for 125 Bumiputera companies as of April 2025.
"In addition, PuTERA35 also focuses on wealth creation through Wakaf MARA Madani, which has successfully raised RM52.1 million towards its RM1 billion target.
"An initial RM530,000 has already been disbursed to support initiatives in education, welfare, and entrepreneurship.
"Meanwhile, through the Bumiputera Expansion and Catalyst Fund (BECF) and the Islamic Working Capital Project Financing (i-WCPF) programme, Teraju has approved RM321.3 million in financing for 208 companies," he said.
He also said that, to support data-driven policymaking, the Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Database Platform is being developed in collaboration with the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), enabling comprehensive analysis to inform more effective policy decisions.
Junady highlighted that to strengthen regional development, the Bumiputera Economic Councils for Sabah and Sarawak have been reactivated as key platforms for advancing the Bumiputera development agenda, with specific action plans currently in progress.
He added that PuTERA35 also includes initiatives to support the development of the Orang Asli community, such as the provision of grants and entrepreneurship training, along with the expansion of healthcare and education endowments (wakaf), in collaboration with the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) and 20 public universities.
"These early successes mark a positive trajectory towards realising the aspirations of the Bumiputera Policy 2030, which focuses on new economic growth, sustainability, and global competitiveness," he said.
