By TAY TIAN YAN
Translated by DOMINIC LOH
Sin Chew Daily
2011-08-16
Opinion

To get the attention of international media, in particular someone in the likes of The Economist, is not anything we can buy with money.

The Economist recently reported the transformation of Penang and its dynamic economy.

Penang is nothing more than just a tiny dot in our enormous world, and to fall into the limelight of international media and receive very high acclaims would be more like holding a winning lottery ticket in hand.

We need sheer luck to win the lottery, but a lot of effort and real strength to gain global recognition.

Some might accuse the state government for buying over the heart of The Economist journalist, but such moronic speculation doesn’t deserve even the slightest discretion.

International media show the least interest in our political crossfire. They only have the big picture in their mind.

No matter how boisterous and noisy is the Komtar madman Mohd Ghani in front of the state government offices, or some weird people dumping animal carcasses in front of the state government building, such disruptions would hardly dent the overall picture.

What really matters is whether the state government has a distinct direction. People are only concerned whether the state government performs, and whether its leaders are capable.

If you have visited Penang lately, perhaps you would sense some changes. The streets are now tidier, and the roadside stalls cleaner. The town is bursting with activity and the public have less to grumble about.

Such impressions that come naturally to anyone visiting Penang are a lot more solid than noisily chanting slogans and propaganda.

Where economic development is concerned, Penang appears to have moved on the right track.

The state government has harnessed on the Unesco cultural heritage status to promote tourism. This coupled with cleaner streets and improved amenities has managed to lure more visitors to the state.

Penang’s achievements in medical tourism development are particularly eye-catching.

A heart surgery will easily cost US$100,000 in the United States, but only a tenth as much in Penang. Pampered with the vast price disparity but minimal differences in technological sophistication, patients still enjoy highly personalised and professional care while in Penang.

It has been reported that a specialist centre on the island has predicted 70,000 medical tourists this year, 20,000 of them coming here for heart-related problems.

As if that is not enough, boom has returned to the state’s electronic industry. While some electronic bellwethers relocated to China several years ago, some have now opted to return to Penang due to the rising costs and lack of transparency in China.

Low cost coupled with state-of-the-art technology, Penang has booked itself a place in the international economic value chain.

Sure enough the new state government should take the credit for the positive change, we must not write off the efforts contributed by the past administration. So, this shouldn’t make another topic of political contention.

There is no need for the federal government to shed some negative light on Penang’s transformation. Instead, it should collaborate with the state government and provide the necessary facilities, funds, infrastructure and assistance.

In addition, it can also learn from Penang’s experience, emulate its development model and apply it to other states as well as the country in whole.