Daim urges Bumiputera to venture into business to succeed in towns

Former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin has urged more Bumiputeras to take part in business as a launchpad to be successful in towns.

He said Bumiputeras should equip themselves with knowledge on the business world, must be brave to try and have a successful mentor as a recipe for success.

"Basic business knowledge, mathematical skills, foreign language and profit and loss concept should be also be inculcated since young, so that the business culture could grow in the Malay society," he said at the Afternoon Talk Programme with the Malay Entrepreneurs and Merchants Association and the Malaysian Investment Development Board, Tuesday.

Some 300 small and medium industry entrepreneurs participated to exchange ideas with Daim with the theme 'Malaysian Urban Economy -- Are There Malay Towns?'.

"The most important attitude to have is ‘seriousness’, and if other races can succeed in the cities, then of course Bumiputera entrepreneurs can do so," he said, commenting on the low asset holdings of Bumiputeras in Malaysian cities.

Daim criticised the big number of government agencies to handle Bumiputera affairs but yet still failed to increase the asset holdings of Bumiputeras in towns.