KUALA LUMPUR: The National Economic Policy is a crutch and should not be considered as a bumiputera privilege, said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Speaking at a forum Thursday, the former Prime Minister said that many Malays thought of the NEP as a privilege given to them for being bumiputera, when it was in fact, a crutch.

"If you need a tongkat (walking cane) it means you are old and decrepit," he said during his address at the forum, organised by the Centre for a Better Tomorrow and the Centre for Public Policy Studies.

"Restructuring the economy means you have to change the culture of people," he said, adding that Malays traditionally were not as competent in business matters as the Chinese.

Dr Mahathir said the "sharing" principle must be practised in Malaysia.

"The Malays must give up some political power and the Chinese must give up some economic power," he said.

Malaysia's longest-serving prime minister also extolled the values of moderation and urged moderates to speak up.

"The moderates don't dare to talk back. They must begin to speak up," he said, giving the example of the G25.