DEB suburkan budaya kebergantungan, kata Nazir Razak dan Musa Hitam

Former Deputy Prime Minister Nazir Razak and Musa Hitam have criticized the New Economic Policy (DEB) introduced in 1971, claiming it has fostered a culture of dependency and excessive pampering of Malays. Nazir Razak, former chairman of CIMB Group, stated that DEB was only intended to be implemented for 20 years, while Musa Hitam described it as a temporary measure lasting 20 years, as proposed by former Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman.

The former deputy prime minister believes that DEB needs to be reviewed, focusing more on education and professional development. He added that DEB has placed too much emphasis on share ownership and stakeholding, leading to situations reminiscent of "Ali Baba," referring to a culture of unfair advantage and lack of genuine competition.

Nazir Razak also criticized the allocation of contracts to Bumiputera companies, questioning why politicians were allowed to choose the recipients. He believes that the lack of competition has weakened Bumiputera businesses. Musa Hitam, who served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1981 to 1986, stated that the policy has indirectly created a dependency culture on government assistance.

He believes that the New Economic Policy has not only helped Malays but also benefited the nation as a whole; however, he adds that it has also created uncertainty among the population. People fear they will not receive anything, but even with assistance, they claim it is not sufficient and demand more.