The racial violence that erupted in Bukit Bintang’s Low Yat Plaza earlier this month has apparently prompted an UMNO Youth leader to call for the Federal Government to set up a digital and IT hub specifically for Bumiputeras, run by Bumiputeras – because commercial segregation is apparently the answer.
UMNO Youth information chief Jamawi Jaafar said Putrajaya should take the initiative to create more Bumiputera IT and telecommunications entrepreneurs in order to reduce majority Malay dependency on the monopoly of “certain parties” in the telecoms business.
He lamented the fact that despite having the impetus to bring themselves up to par with other races in the industry, Bumiputeras remain only consumers in the IT marketplace, and not traders.
“To be honest, with the presence of various government agencies in charge of Bumiputera interests, such as MARA (Majlis Amanah Rakyat) and UDA (UDA Holdings Berhad), by right many Bumiputera entrepreneurs should have been produced in this field,” he told Bernama today.
Low Yat Plaza, an IT and telecommunications mall, was wracked with interracial violence after a Malay youth was caught attempting to steal a mobile phone from a kiosk there, but was apprehended by mostly Chinese floor staff. More than 200 Malay individuals, including members of several Malay-Muslim rights groups, gathered outside the mall and caused several injuries and property damage to non-Malays in the vicinity.
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