KUALA LUMPUR: UEM Group Bhd and its subsidiaries spent a total of RM5.5 billion on procurement from Bumiputera vendors and suppliers between 2023 and 2025, said managing director Datuk Amran Hafiz Affifudin.
The commitment by the wholly owned subsidiary and principal infrastructure arm of Khazanah Nasional Bhd has become a key growth catalyst for more than 5,000 participating Bumiputera companies across highway management, asset and facility services, property development, and construction material supplies.
"As UEM Group continues to expand and undertake more complex infrastructure projects, we must ensure that the local supply chain develops in tandem with these demands.
"This will ensure that the returns from Malaysia’s development are shared equitably, laying the foundation for self-reliance and excellence that will further enhance the value of the local ecosystem while ensuring continued national economic growth in the future,” he said in a statement today.
According to the company, PLUS Malaysia Bhd, its highway operations arm, and UEM Edgenta Bhd
, its asset and facilities management arm, allocated 90 per cent and 49 per cent respectively of their total procurement spending to Bumiputera companies during the period.
UEM Group has also continued to mentor Bumiputera vendors through the ongoing implementation of the Bumiputera Vendor Development Programme (VDP) across its subsidiaries, including PLUS, UEM Edgenta, and UEM Sunrise Bhd, as well as Cement Industries of Malaysia Bhd (CIMA).
The VDP further enhances participating vendors' capabilities by equipping them with the technical skills needed to compete in an increasingly evolving landscape and enabling them to explore commercial opportunities beyond the UEM Group ecosystem.
The structured initiative goes beyond contract awards by providing comprehensive support in business development, financial management and technical capacity building.
By embedding Bumiputera empowerment strategies into its core operations, UEM Group and its subsidiaries aim to strengthen Bumiputera economic participation and help them compete on a more level playing field.
This would, in turn, enhance the socioeconomic standing of the Bumiputera community and translate the national Bumiputera Economic Transformation Plan 2035 (PuTERA35) into meaningful commercial outcomes, the statement added. - Bernama
