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Kuala Lumpur: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today said the unity government would defend the special position accorded to Bumiputeras, as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

Anwar was responding to the call by his PKR colleague Hassan Karim for the upcoming Bumiputera economic congress to review if Bumiputera privileges, outlined under Article 153 of the constitution, had helped the community’s economic standing.

“We will defend the provisions in the constitution, including (Article) 153. There’s no need for further discussions,” he told reporters when asked for his response to Hassan at Sasana Kijang here.

Article 153 deals with the “special position” of the Malays and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak.

In a statement on Sunday, Hassan called for next month’s congress to discuss whether the platform had succeeded in uplifting the lives of Bumiputeras or if it had merely been manipulated by a handful of elites for their benefit.

Acknowledging that this was a sensitive matter, the Pasir Gudang MP said there was a need for an “honest” study to determine whether or not affirmative action had helped the Bumiputeras.

The PKR man also called for the congress to be scrapped and replaced with one that focuses on issues based on economic class.

The Bumiputera economic congress is scheduled to take place from Feb 29 to March 2, with Anwar previously saying that this year’s congress would be more inclusive.