KUALA LUMPUR: UEM Group Berhad (UEM Group) and its subsidiaries today recorded over RM5.5bil in procurement spending that was awarded to Bumiputera vendors and suppliers between 2023 and 2025.
During this period, the group’s expressway arm, PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS) and its asset and facility management arm, UEM Edgenta Berhad (UEM Edgenta), allocated 90% and 49% of their respective procurement budgets to Bumiputera businesses.
This commitment has served as a primary growth catalyst for more than 5,000 Bumiputera enterprises, enabling their participation in high-value projects across the infrastructure and engineering-related sectors.
This move by UEM Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary and flagship infrastructure arm of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, ensures that the economic value generated by national development projects remains anchored within the domestic ecosystem, specifically driving the growth and scalability of Bumiputera-owned businesses.
In addition to the procurement spending, UEM Group nurtures Bumiputera vendors through the ongoing implementation of the Bumiputera Vendor Development Programme (VDP) across its subsidiaries, including PLUS, UEM Edgenta, UEM Sunrise Berhad and Cement Industries of Malaysia Berhad (CIMA).
This structured initiative goes beyond merely awarding contracts as it provides comprehensive support in business development, financial management and technical capacity building.
The VDP programme is designed to enhance vendors’ capabilities, equipping them with the necessary technical competencies to compete in an evolving landscape and explore commercial opportunities beyond the UEM Group of Companies.
By integrating Bumiputera empowerment strategies into the core of its operations, UEM Group and its subsidiaries are strengthening Bumiputera economic participation, enabling them to compete on a level playing field, elevating the socio-economic status of the community and translating the Bumiputera Economic Transformation Plan 2035 (PuTERA35) national policy into tangible commercial outcomes.
UEM Group managing director Datuk Amran Hafiz Affifudin noted that the RM5.5bil expenditure represents a fundamental investment in the long-term resilience of the national economy.
“By integrating over 5,000 Bumiputera vendors into our daily operations – spanning expressway management, asset and facility services, property development and building material supply – we are developing a robust pipeline of skilled and competitive entrepreneurs, which helps de-risk the Malaysian economy.
“As UEM Group continues to grow and undertakes increasingly complex infrastructure projects, it is imperative that our local supply chain matures in tandem to meet these demands.
“This ensures that the dividends of Malaysia’s development are shared equitably, fostering a foundation of self-reliance and excellence that will elevate our local ecosystem and sustain the nation’s economic growth well into the future.”
