KUALA LUMPUR: “Sugar King” Tan Sri Robert Kuok would not have made his fortune without various government policies that had become a key to his success.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said while it could not be denied that Kuok was hardworking and had rights to pursue wealth, even the richest man in Malaysia needed an opportunity which opened doors to his success.
“Based on my experience, people, whether he is an average person, listed as the richest man in Malaysia or a politician, what are the similarities between them?
“From what I can summarise, when a person receives a key, it can open doors which lead to a better future.
“If we look at the names of the richest people in Malaysia, which (list) may begin with Kuok, who was the one who provided him with the key, which saw him monopolising sugar and rice business?
“Yes, he has rights (to pursue wealth). He is hardworking, perseverant, and disciplined. But that is not enough.
“Everyone needs a key, which through government policies, to open opportunities to bigger success,” Najib said in his speech when opening the Central Zone-level of the Open Interview for 1Malaysia Training Scheme (SL1M) at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang yesterday.
Political blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin was recently reported to have claimed that Kuok harboured an agenda seeking to replace the current government with one led by DAP.
Raja Petra had also claimed that to realise such an ambition, Kuok aspired to spark a “wave of change” among the Malays.
He also said when the New Economic Policy was launched in 1970, Kuok was said to have been openly protested the move before Umno leaders, as reported by Singapore’s The Straits Times on Dec 4 last year.