New: The Ali Baba Culture Causes Bumiputeras to Lag Behind

PUTRAJAYA – Bumiputeras lag in entrepreneurship due to the ‘Ali Baba’ culture, says Minister of Agriculture and Commodities, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani. He stated that despite allocating RM1.7 trillion worth of contracts or projects to Bumiputera entrepreneurs over 25 years, many ended up losing out to Bumiputera ‘agents‘.

Ali Baba

Johari explained that the ‘Ali Baba’ concept, where unprepared Bumiputera entrepreneurs partner with non-Bumiputera, leads to this disparity. He emphasized the need for a dedicated database to prevent such practices, speaking at the Bumiputera Economic Congress 2024. Deputy Ministers Liew Chin Tong and Datuk R Ramanan also attended the event.