KUALA LUMPUR (May 13): UEM Group Bhd, owned by sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd, said its procurement spending awarded to Bumiputera vendors and suppliers in 2023 to 2025 amounted to RM5.5 billion.

This is in line with its move to ensure economic value generated by national development projects remains anchored within the domestic ecosystem, specifically driving the growth and scalability of Bumiputera-owned businesses, the group said in a statement on Wednesday.

“During this period, UEM Group’s expressway arm, PLUS Malaysia Bhd and its asset and facility management arm, UEM Edgenta Bhd (KL:EDGENTA), allocated 90% and 49% of their respective procurement budgets to Bumiputera businesses,” the group said.

“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,” it added.

The RM5.5 million expenditure represents a fundamental investment in the long-term resilience of the national economy, UEM Group managing director Datuk Amran Hafiz Affifudin said.

“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,” he said.

Beyond procurement spending, UEM Group said it also nurtures Bumiputera vendors through the ongoing implementation of the Bumiputera Vendor Development Programme across its units, providing comprehensive support in business development, financial management, and technical capacity building.

“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,” Amran said.

“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,” he added.

At Wednesday's midday break, shares of UEM Edgenta were unchanged at RM1.09, valuing the company at RM906.47 million.