UEM Group Bhd and its subsidiaries have awarded over RM5.5 billion in procurement contracts to Bumiputera vendors and suppliers between 2023 and 2025 to strengthen Bumiputera participation in the economy.

UEM said yesterday the spending had benefited more than 5,000 Bumiputera enterprises involved in infrastructure and engineering-related sectors.

Its motorway unit, PLUS Malaysia Bhd, allocated 90 per cent of its procurement budget to Bumiputera businesses during the period, while its asset and facility management arm, UEM Edgenta Bhd, channelled 49 per cent of its procurement spending to Bumiputera vendors.

UEM, the wholly owned infrastructure arm of Khazanah Nasional Bhd, said the initiative aims to ensure economic value from national development projects remains in the domestic economy. It also supports the growth and scalability of Bumiputera-owned businesses.

UEM managing director Datuk Amran Hafiz Affifudin said the RM5.5 billion expenditure represents a long-term investment in the resilience of the economy.

Amran Hafiz said: "We are developing a robust pipeline of skilled and competitive entrepreneurs, which helps de-risk the economy."