by Dr. Chen Man Hin
Prime Minister Najib expressed his intention to make Malaysia a high income country, like the developed countries in Asia. America and Europe.
To reach that status, the per capita income (pci) of a malaysian citizen must be at least US$11,700. presently per capita income is $7500.
Malaysia pci was US500 at independence in 1957. It took 52 years to achieve $7500. can malaysia reach a pci of US 11700 in the year 2020 and fulfill the Vision 2020 dream of Tun Mahathir?
There are five fundamental conditions that Malaysia must possess in order to reach high income status:
1. A united Malaysia where all the races are equal and there is freedom to practise their cultures, religions with equal opportunites in politics, economy and in society.
The whole world is moving towards multiracial and multicultural ethics in most countries. racial tolerance has replaced racial bias and discrimination. The election of Obama as the first black president of USA signifies that racialism is not a problem with world countries anymore.
Unfortunately, Malaysia does not follow a multiracial philosophy. UMNO the dominant ruling party of Barisan espouses a racial policy, that of KETUANAN MELAYU, where the Malays are considered as the master race.
This racial policy have caused disunity and hampered economic and social progress in Malaysia.
Second, a nation aspiring to be developed must be free from corruption. Transparency International reported that Malaysia was number 47 on the corruption perception ranking, compared with Singapore 4th, Hong Kong 12th, Japan 18.
Transparency International Malaysia reported that 76% of the people believe that the government is ineffective in fighting corruption. It stated that the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission was not efficient as it is not an independent body unlike the HK Independent Anti Corruption Commission.
Third. A sound education system is important TO train students to be knowledgeable, to be multilingual and to be trained in science and Information Technology and to produce educated technicians and engineers, and managers for business, commerce, and industries.
Fourth is to have a culture that fosters merit and creativity. A developed country puts great emphasis on intelligence and creativity. It will require citizens who are coached and trained to be creative and to innovate. It will require people who can utilise the country’s resources and turn them into products which are demanded by the markets and world markets.
I would propose that a special ministry of creativity be set up to analyse and study how to increase the research and creativity of bright intelligent students.
Fifth. to instil a discipline of dedication and hard work. This is vital aspect for a person to develop – the ability to work long hours in order to achieve an objective. It is not enough having a good idea or a good plan. Many times it requires plain hard work to turn an idea into productive reality.
PM Najib may have good intentions to make Malaysia a high income developed country. However good intentions are not enough in this case. He must introduce changes in policies and culture to have the five conditions required to change Malaysia into a developed country.
(Speech at the celebration of the 183th anniversary of the Hakka Association in Seremban on 27th sept 2009)
#1 by yhsiew on Monday, 28 September 2009 - 8:45 am
Another requirement for a country to become “developed” is freedom of speech and expression.
#2 by Loh on Monday, 28 September 2009 - 9:04 am
Malaysia lacks the five fundamentals because of NEP. Remove NEP, the country shall regain all these fundamentals and more to become a developed country without Mahathir’s distorted vision. The country has wasted forty years, and now it is at par with Zimbabwe and Myanmar. It will take Malaysia longer to be competitive to gain the high income status. It has to be remembered that high income cannot come about by just pegging ringgit to make it strong. It has to be strong in generating goods and services that people are willing to pay a high price for them. With almost all our able trained manpower going or remaining abroad, saved the grey hair group waiting in the country to be recalled, what chance have we to make this a high income country? Besides, the powers-that-be knew only the slogan of 1Malaysia but not removing a policy created during emergency rule, and it have been carried on for twice the amount of time than it was promised to end.
#3 by boh-liao on Monday, 28 September 2009 - 9:11 am
NR to speak at the UN Assembly in NY
The art of corruption, seduction and C4
#4 by son of perpaduan on Monday, 28 September 2009 - 11:39 am
I reckon majority of Malaysian of all races, spewing blood from their mouth if more and more so call 1malaysia plan announcement from the BN goverment. When after reading from Star, NST my blood vein boiling temperature increase dramatically..shit!
#5 by Jeffrey on Monday, 28 September 2009 - 11:44 am
What Loh said on September 28th, 2009 09:04 is true. I leave here a quote by Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931 – 2005:
“…..What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it…..”
#6 by boh-liao on Monday, 28 September 2009 - 12:29 pm
Furthermore, how can a nation progress n be innovative
When abt 35% of its citizens are denied of critical posts ‘cos of wrong race
And only a certain % of the remaining 65% of its citizens is given critical posts
Political patronage n incompetency rule OK
A certain formula for national disaster
At this rate, come 2020, maybe leader of 4th world nations
#7 by drngsc on Monday, 28 September 2009 - 12:35 pm
Let me share a few wise sayings with you all.
In any country, ” you cannot make the weak strong, by making the strong weak ” Abraham Lincoln.
“You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for,that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.”
~~~~ Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931
#8 by taiking on Monday, 28 September 2009 - 12:39 pm
Yeah boh-liao, the Art of Corruption, Seduction and C4 will replace Sun Tze’s Art of War as the world’s most read and applied art for the next thousand year. Lest Toyo’s countrymen and women decided to pull a fast one on us again by branding us copycats of those arts, we should really do the needful now to protect our intellectual property rights in those arts.
#9 by OrangRojak on Monday, 28 September 2009 - 1:09 pm
From wikipedia ‘Adrian Rogers’
“You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.”
This quote appears frequently on the Internet and is often attributed to Dr. Rogers with an incorrect date of 1931. In fact, the quotation is part of a longer passage in Dr. Rogers’ 1996 work Ten Secrets for a Successful Family complaining that “by and large our young people do not know either the importance or the value of honest labor”.
He was an ultra-conservative bigot. He would have been very popular in Malaysia.
#10 by k1980 on Monday, 28 September 2009 - 1:46 pm
As long as the White-Eyed Peas comprising umno’s Jibby, Hidin, Mudin, ect continue to run the country, the 5 global fundamentals can never be achieved
#11 by johnnypok on Monday, 28 September 2009 - 3:01 pm
“It will take another 100 years plus several civil wars before Malaysia can be transformed into a decent nation”.
#12 by sheriff singh on Monday, 28 September 2009 - 3:32 pm
Our per capita income IS ALREADY above US$ 11,700 if you take into consideration the BILLIONS lost through the many “leakages”.
The writer raises many good and valid points but unfortunately, these will remain as dreams as nothing is being seriously done by the powers there be to achieve it. And no amount of sloganeering, patriotic songs and posturings will make it happen anytime soon. The divisions and chasms are just to wide and getting worse.
We need united, strong, determined actions and the will-power to make things happen. And a strong, committed and focused leadership. Do we have these? The conditions are just not there for things to happen.
#13 by yhsiew on Monday, 28 September 2009 - 4:42 pm
can malaysia reach a pci of US 11700 in the year 2020 and fulfill the Vision 2020 dream of Tun Mahathir?
=========================================
The answer is “yes” provided Bank Negara pursues a strong ringgit policy. A strong ringgit will drastically reduce the number of years for our per capita income to reach US$11,700. For example, if Tun Dr. Mahathir did not devalue the ringgit, today our per capita income would have been (3.5 x 7500/2.55) or US$10,294.
However, should Bank Negara pursue a strong ringgit policy (looks very unlikely) traders and entrepreneurs must be ready to budge. No longer should they rely on cheap Indonesian labor for the production of goods and services, but rather, increase throughput and productivity through computerization, automation and mechanization to compensate for the disadvantage of a strong currency.
#14 by monsterball on Monday, 28 September 2009 - 6:12 pm
Najib is talking about the few thousands of Malays that are filthy rich…created by UMNO…and hinting to vote UMNO in again on 13th GE…to continue..making few more thousands Malays to be filthy rich.
It will be a country…with little napoleans…false corrupted Islam prophets ..thousands of “YES” Malaysians to UMNO…and the untouchables.
Mahathir showed UMNO how to do it.. for 22 years….and Najib must toe the line….or else Mahathir will expose him..on so many things.
This is my personal suspicion…
#15 by Hugos on Monday, 28 September 2009 - 6:35 pm
i think dr chen should just retire quietly. he is old school.
#16 by GilaPolitic on Tuesday, 29 September 2009 - 12:05 am
Yes, the oldman DAP Chairman Dr Chen has good vision. His advice and article are very excellent and for good academic.
I think Hugos is very short sighted and poor IQ & EQ to really digest Dr Chen’s advices.
What a great shame to Hugo with his poor thinking and corrupted vision like UMNO goons today? Dig your Hugos head into the desert sand !!
#17 by imranj78 on Tuesday, 29 September 2009 - 12:25 am
Dr Chen,
While your proposed 5 fundamentals might look good on paper, I am afraid some are a bit dated. I agree on the need for good education, low corruption, unity and meritocracy but surely there is more to life then just the normal technicians, engineers, managers etc? We need more `culture’ in our life… more of arts, social sciences etc to enhance our lives in Malaysia to truly transform our country to a first world nation.
And your statement `UMNO the dominant ruling party of Barisan espouses a racial policy, that of KETUANAN MELAYU, where the Malays are considered as the master race.’ is totally out of sync. I do not for one think that UMNO views that the Malays are a master race, rather they view Malays and other Bumi’s as the original inhabitants of the country as guarantees by the constitution. Please do not spin and lie through your nose on this.