JITRA, March 31 — Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today visited the factories of Bumiputera entrepreneurs in several places in Kedah.

During a visit to the Oblong Burger Manufacturing Facility at Kampung Cherok Mokkan near here, he also held closed discussions with several food truck operators from several states including Penang and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur.

Seleraku Trading Sdn Bhd managing director, Zunita Nordin, when met by reporters after a meeting with the prime minister said the meeting was a good opportunity to highlight the capabilities of Bumiputera entrepreneurs to the prime minister.

"Previously we (Bumiputera entrepreneurs) were often considered lazy and less industrious, but it is now no longer the case. Everything has changed now as many Malay entrepreneurs especially, have quietly achieved success.

"Tun (prime minister) also urged us to expand our companies, so that we can improve the socio-economic level of the local community,” he said.

Earlier, the prime minister also visited a 12-hectare pineapple plantation in Bukit Kayu Hitam run by Bumiputra company, Ber One Agro Farm.

He spent about 30 minutes listening to a briefing by the farm’s owner, Zulkafli Saidin.

Prior to that, Dr Mahathir spent about an hour and a half visiting Nanas Merbok Sdn Bhd’s Fruit Juice Factory in Gurun.

During the visit, he took a closer look at how pineapple juice was processed, and was duly briefed by the company’s management.

The prime minister was accompanied by former Council of Eminent Persons chairman Tun Daim Zainuddin and Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Salahuddin Ayub throughout all the visits. — Bernama