Kuching: Allocating government project opportunities based on race does not necessarily mean they will reach those who genuinely need them, said DAPSY Sarawak Deputy Chief Jordan Soo.
Responding to the Sarawak Premier Abang Johari’s announcement of a 30% Bumiputera quota for major Sarawak government projects, Soo said the focus should instead be on creating meaningful opportunities for local small and medium-sized contractors, regardless of race.
“The Government should instead focus on supporting local small and medium-sized contractors of all races in Sarawak. They are the ones who lack opportunities, need policy support the most, and are also among those best placed to contribute to Sarawak’s economic prosperity,” he said.
Soo said the Government should address the issue through fairer and more fundamental measures rather than relying solely on race-based allocation.
Among the measures he proposed was imposing a cap on the total value of government contracts that any single company may secure.
He said this would prevent opportunities from becoming concentrated among a small number of companies while giving small and medium-sized contractors a more meaningful chance to participate in government projects.
He added that the announcement directly contradicts what GPS has long claimed to stand for, which repeatedly portrayed Sarawak as different from Peninsular Malaysia, particularly in its approach to race and economic development.
“For years, GPS has been telling Sarawakians that we are different from Peninsular Malaysia, that we do not tie race to economic development, and that we value capability rather than skin colour.
“Yet today, the GPS Government has turned around and made racial identity a criterion in the allocation of government projects,” he said.
Soo also questioned whether the quota policy was consistent with Sarawak’s ambition to become a high-income, competitive and developed state by 2030.
“How do we become more competitive by administratively restricting competition? Is a distorted development outcome created through race-based policies really the kind of advanced Sarawak that we want to build?” he asked.
Soo also called for the full disclosure of tender and contract award information to strengthen transparency and allow greater public scrutiny of how government projects are awarded.
“DAP has never opposed helping those who are disadvantaged. What we oppose is the use of race alone as the basis for policymaking.
“Assistance should be based on who genuinely needs it, not the colour of their skin. If Sarawak truly wants to chart a different path from Peninsular Malaysia, then GPS should first live up to its own words,” he stressed.
