KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has unveiled a raft of measures to bolster the economic status of the ethnic Malay majority, deepening a decades-old controversial affirmative action program.
Some opposition politicians call it a ploy by Najib to cement his leadership ahead of elections next month in his United Malays National Organization, the linchpin of the ruling coalition. Najib has come under pressure after a poor showing in May general elections, where his ruling coalition won the polls but lost the popular vote.
Najib said Saturday the measures were necessary to close the wealth gap between Malays and minority Chinese and Indians. He said this included cash aid for Malay businesses, granting them more government contracts and allocating more houses for Malays in urban areas.
