Contracts monopolised by elite group: KCCI

10 October, 2006

Labuan: The Kadazandusun Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) supports Parti Bersatu Sabah's (PBS) 70:30 "fair share formula" and added that it should also apply to business opportunities and implemented here as well.

KCCI Chairman, Gedi Baching said "currently only certain elite groups monopolised most of the business opportunities and this is not helping a fair distribution of wealth among the bumiputras/ natives, especially minority bumiputras."

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had said the PBS proposal is unlikely to be considered.

Baching said that if the strategy was not changed what would happen in the long term was that the bulk of the wealth would be in the hands of a "selected" few who keep on getting the lucrative contracts and opportunities.

"The majority of other Bumiputras would be left biting their fingers," he said.

He said this would make a mockery of the objectives of the NEP and hardly indicative of good corporate governance.

Baching said despite supporting local Member of Parliament, Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman's call for more contracts for local enterprises, "we are puzzled and disappointed that even small government contracts and businesses for Labuan were not given to those based here despite them being equally capable of doing the job."

Baching said without adequate opportunities, the local Bumiputra businessmen would not be able to expand and grow.

He said the least that could be done was for the authorities to compel those from outside securing jobs here to ensure that at least 30 per cent of the opportunities were given to the numerous contractors from different native backgrounds in Labuan.

Baching added that the same formula should also be applied in making political appointments here, so that all component parties would have a fair share of representation in various agencies and would not feel marginalised.