Kuala lumpur: UEM Group Bhd and its subsidiaries have directed a total of RM5.5 billion towards procurement from Bumiputera vendors and suppliers between 2023 and 2025, as stated by managing director Datuk Amran Hafiz Affifudin. This initiative serves as a growth catalyst for over 5,000 Bumiputera companies engaged in various sectors such as highway management, asset and facility services, property development, and construction material supplies.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, PLUS Malaysia Bhd, the highway operations arm, and UEM Edgenta Bhd, the asset and facilities management arm of UEM Group, allocated 90 per cent and 49 per cent respectively of their total procurement spending to Bumiputera companies during the specified period. This action is part of UEM Group's commitment to ensure the local supply chain develops alongside the company's expansion and infrastructure projects.
UEM Group has also been actively mentoring Bumiputera vendors through the Bumiputera Vendor Development Programme (VDP), which is implemented across its subsidiaries, including PLUS, UEM Edgenta, UEM Sunrise Bhd, and Cement Industries of Malaysia Bhd (CIMA). The VDP is designed to enhance the capabilities of participating vendors by providing them with the necessary technical skills to compete in a dynamic market environment, enabling them to explore commercial opportunities beyond the UEM Group ecosystem.
The structured initiative of UEM Group goes beyond mere contract awards by offering comprehensive support in areas such as business development, financial management, and technical capacity building. By embedding Bumiputera empowerment strategies into its core operations, UEM Group aims to bolster Bumiputera economic participation, helping them compete more effectively on a level playing field.
This strategic focus is expected to improve the socioeconomic status of the Bumiputera community and contribute to the realization of the national Bumiputera Economic Transformation Plan 2035 (PuTERA35), translating it into meaningful commercial outcomes.