NEP Ended In 1991, MAPEN In Place Now, Says Abdullah - Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the issue of abolishing the New Economic Policy (NEP) raised by the opposition parties should not have come up as the policy ended in 1991.

Since then, the government has set up the National Economic Consultative Council (MAPEN) to be responsible for planning the development of the country's economy.

"Through MAPEN, many policies had been agreed upon for implementation by the government and among the policies were two policies taken from the NEP, with one being the overall eradication of poverty irrespective of race, and the second dealt with distribution," he said at a press conference after chairing the Umno Supreme Council and Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meeting here today.

Abdullah was replying to questions on plans by the opposition parties, which won several state governments in the recent election, to abolish the NEP.

He said the government would continue to holistically carry out its poverty eradication programmes considering that hard core poverty still existed.

"We have continued to implement the programmes until today as poverty still exist including hardcore poverty even if the percentage has been reduced significantly from the past.

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