Malaysia: Vision 2020 Road Map

By Koon Yew Yin

Preface
ThisbookhasbeeninspiredbyVision2020andaspeechgivenbyTengkuRazaleigheighteen [Link] PresentIwasmotivatedtowriteanarticlewhichsubsequentlyappearedinanumberof [Link],IstatedthatIhaddiscussedhisspeech [Link],andIamsuremanyother Malaysians,agreewithKuLithatthenationisincrisisandthatarebirthoftheidealsofthe RukunNegara;ofdiversityandunityhasneverbeenmoreurgentlyneededthantoday. Inhisspeech,TengkuRazaleighcalledforamovementofpeoples,intellectualsandpolitical partiesforanationalconsensusorcompactwhichshouldincludekeypoliticalprinciplesthat canprovideanimportantfoundationforrebuildingourfragileMalaysianunityandsolidarity. Thisbookisaresponsetothecallfromarespectedstatesmanandoneofourmosteminent politicalleadersfortheurgenttaskofputtinginplaceprinciples,ideasandidealsthatcan [Link] providesnotonlyananalysisofhowandwhytheoldroadmaphasfailedusinsomeofthe mostcriticalaspectsoflifebutitalsooutlinesthenewroadmapandthenewdirections neededtorebuildourfragileMalaysianunityandsolidarityandmoveourcountrytowardsa progressiveandcohesivesocietyasenvisagedinVision2020. BesidesrespondingtoTengkuRazaleighscallacallwhichhehasbrilliantlyandsuccinctly elaboratedonintheforewordthathehaskindlyprovidedforthebookmywritingisalsoa responsetopublicconcernsthatthecountryisindangeroffallingbehindinreachingthe2020 [Link] [Link],theformerPrimeMinister,duringthetablingoftheSixthMalaysia Planin1991,thevisioncalledforthecountrytoachievedevelopednationstatusbytheyear [Link] tosocialwellbeingtopoliticalmaturityitisimportanttonotethattheoriginal2020plangave [Link] werenotmerelyeconomictargetsbutalsothelessphysicallytangiblegoalsofasocietythatis psychologicalliberatedandsecure,democraticallymature,liberalandtolerant,caringand progressive,moralandethical,fairandequitableandrobustanddynamic.

MALAYSIASVISION2020CHALLENGES
Challenge1:EstablishingaunitedMalaysiannation madeupofoneBangsaMalaysia(MalaysianRace). Challenge2:Creatingapsychologicallyliberated,secure anddevelopedMalaysiansociety. Challenge3:Fosteringanddevelopingamature democraticsociety. [Typeaquotefromthedocumentor thesummaryofaninterestingpoint. Challenge4:Establishingafullymoralandethical society. Youcanpositionthetextbox [Link] Challenge5:Establishingamaturedliberaland TextBoxToolstabtochangethe formattingofthepullquotetextbox.] tolerantsociety.

Challenge6:Establishingascientificandprogressive society. Challenge7:Establishingafullycaringsociety. Challenge8:Ensuringaneconomicallyjustsociety, inwhichthereisafairandequitabledistributionof thewealthofthenation. Challenge9:Establishingaprosperoussocietywith aneconomythatisfullycompetitive,dynamic, robustandresilient.

HownearorhowfarawayarewefromachievementofVision2020?NolessapersonthanDr. [Link] theblameontheeconomiccrisesthathavehitthenation(1997/98and2008)inthetwo decadessincetheVisionwasunveiled,[Link] LeadershipFoundationsCEOForum2010on29September,2010,waspessimisticthatthe attainmentofbotheconomicandnoneconomicgoalscouldbeachieved. OntheslowprogresswithachievingaunitedMalaysiannationorBangsaMalaysia,hehas explainedthathehadenvisionedin1991thateconomicprogressandgeneralprosperitywould [Link],talkofracialrights, privilegesandopportunities,attributedpartlytoMalaysiasmoremodesteconomicprogress,

andpartlyalsotothefactthatthegovernmentisnotasstrongasitusedtobe,hasbeen [Link],andthis inturnhasunderminedVision2020. DuringtheQuestionandAnswersessionofhispresentation,[Link] leadershipandcorruptionstatingthatMalaysiawasindangerofhavingthismoralturpitude movefromunderthetable(acrimethatneedstobehidden)toabovethetable(where corruptionisacceptedasthenorm),unlesstheleadershiptakesstrongactionagainstgraft. Thekeytwinissuesofcorruptionandgovernancearegivenmuchattentioninthebook, althoughmydiagnosisandproposedsolutionsineradicatingcorruptionandinstillinggood [Link] thantwodecadesofrulingthecountry. [Link],thebookmaybeseenasa sourceofideasandsuggestionsforthegeneralpublicaswellasforpoliticiansandpolicy [Link] outsidetheconventionalpoliticalboxfortheroadmapandsolutionsthatcanhelpthecountry getoutoftheviciouscircleofnarrowraceandcronyriddendevelopmentthathasdamaged ourpresentandfutureprospects. [Link],Ihave comeacrossmanyMalaysianswhohaveemigratedinsearchofabetterlifeandfairer [Link] expertisethatcanenableustoattainoureconomicanddevelopednationstatusambitions [Link] prevalentamongstthecommunityofmigrs,especiallyinrelationtotheGovernments [Link] urgethemtocomebacksothatMalaysiaandtheythemselvescanhaveanotheropportunityat makinguseoftheirspecialskillsandentrepreneurshipforthebettermentofthenation. Thebookdoesnotclaimtoanyneworstartlingsolutionsoranswerstothecountrysproblems. Infact,itdrawsonsomeofmyearlierwritingsonkeyissuesandproblemspriortoand followingtheMarch2008electionswhichmany,includingfromwithintheGovernment, [Link] subjectssuchasthecontractingindustry,theNewEconomicPolicy,Perakpolitics,educational developmentandotherscontroversialissuesofpublicconcernhavegeneratedconsiderable feedbackfromreadersinthewebandblogsiteswherethecommentariesinitiallyappeared. Someofthesereaderscommentsarereproducedinthebooksincetheyprovideadditional insightsintotheopinionsandviewsoftheconcernedmaninthestreetonthesubjectmatter ofourfuturedirection.

Inadditiontothearticlesthathavebeenwrittenbasedonmyownexperiencesandknowledge andsomeoftheresponsestothemfrominterestedmembersofthepublic,thebookincludes excerptsfromthewritingsofvariouspoliticalleadersandpersonalitiesfromawiderangeof professionsaswellaskeyrelevantexcerptsofcountryanalysisprovidedbynationaland [Link] [Link] acknowledgethatmanythinkingMalaysiansareequallyconcernedwiththetopicsthatform [Link] uncensoredandhonestfeedbacknotonlyinunderstandingtheproblemsofthecountrybut alsoinfindingsolutionsiftheGovernmentanditspolicymakershaveanopenmindandare preparedtoengageinopendiscourseanddebatewithalargergroupofconcernedcitizenry [Link] thesenonconventionalsources,whichhavebeenblankedoutfromtheofficialmedia,thiswill encouragereaders,especiallyfromourpoliticalsystemandofficialdom,tolookoutsidethebox fornewwisdomtohelpresolvelongstandingproblems. Whenselectingthequotationsandexcerptsfromtheenormousliteratureavailableonthe countrysrecentdevelopment,thebookhasprioritizedtwotypesofdirectionalmaterials:one whichcanhelpustoidentifyandunderstandthewrongturns,detoursandculdesacsthat havedelayedorimpededourarrivalasafullydevelopednation;andtwo,materialsrelatedto thenewstrategiesandprocessesthatareneededtodrivethecountryforwardinattainingthe [Link] thatthereadercanhaveaccesstomoreneutralempiricaldataandtrendsofdevelopment foundinimportantsectorsoftheeconomyandsociety. Oneofthekeypointersastohowwearedoingasanationcanbefoundinthelargebodyof [Link] developmentliteratureavailableonMalaysia,Iwasshockedtofindthatthegapinourper capitastandingcomparedwithvariousneighbouringcountriessuchasSouthKorea,Singapore andTaiwanwhichwereatmoreorlessatthesamelevelasMalaysiainthe1970shad widenedtremendouslyduringthelast30years.Accordingtothe2009data,ourpercapita incomestandsatUS$7,468comparedwithSouthKoreasUS$16,450;TaiwansUS$15,373and SingaporesUS$34,[Link] [Link] statisticaldatacomesfromofficialinternationalsourcesthereisnoreasontodoubtit. Morethan20statisticaltableshavebeenincludedinthisvolumerangingfromeconomic [Link] ways,alarmingconfirmationofthelackofprogressmadenotonlyinpercapitaincomebut

alsoindiverseareasofeducation,racerelations,religiousharmonyandeconomicgrowth. Despitethedrawbacksthatareassociatedwithoverrelianceonstatisticaldata,thestatistical tablesprovidedhereofferawealthofempiricaldataforpolicymakersandpoliticianstodigest, especiallyforthosewhoarestillstubbornlyclingingtotheirbeliefthatthecountryhasmade immensestridesinreformandchange,[Link] providesacontraryofthisrosypictureisjusttoocompellingtoignore. Toensureamoreinclusiveselectionandtoavoidchargesthatthisisapoliticallypartisanroad map,readerswillnotethatmaterialshavebeenculledfrombothsidesofthepoliticaldivide. NopartyinthecountryneitherfromtheBarisanorPakatansidehasamonopolyon knowledgeorunderstandingofthecomplexissuesofdevelopmentorofthechallengesthat [Link],preferenceintheselectionhasbeen giventoassessmentsemanatingfromtheyoungergenerationofMalaysiansaswellastothose [Link] ofthesevoicesareofordinaryMalaysianswritingunderpseudonymsinresponsetothearticles thatIhavewritten. Itisnecessarytopointoutthatoneofthemainintentionsofthebookistoshowthatwhilst thenationalconsensusandcompactfornationalunityandsolidaritymayappeartobean impossibledreamoradistantrainbowassometimeslamentedbymyfriends,thereisatthe sametimeacommonalitythatisdiscernibleintermsofourunderstandingofthedangerous pathofdevelopmentthatliesaheadandthepitfallsthatwehavetoavoidifwearetoensure [Link] ofthecountrysweaknessesandproblemsingovernance,economy,socialcohesionandrace andreligiousrelationsisinfactsharedbybothBarisanNasionalgovernmentandPakatan [Link], however,beenobscuredandoverlookedinthehecticpoliticalposturingandpolitickingthat hasbeenprevalentduringthelastthreeyears. Notonlyisthereagrowingconvergenceintheanalysisofwhatisailingoursocietyandits politicsandeconomybutthereisalsoahigherleveloftacitagreementonwhatisneededto [Link],the extremistsandethnonationalistswillcontinuetoengageinnewstuntsaimedatdividingour [Link] ismyhopethatbyrisingabovetheangryrhetoricandemphasizingthiscommonalityof knowledgeandviewsonkeyaspectsofthecountrysdevelopment,thebookcanplaya bridgingroleinreconcilingbitterlyopposedpoliticalcampstowardsthesamemissiongoal whichistogalvanizethecountryoutofthedoldrums.

Finally,thisbookisdedicatedtotheyoungergenerationofMalaysianswhowillbearthemain bruntofeffortsinbuildingournationtoitsfullpotentialaswellaswillhavetopaythepriceof [Link],theroadmapprovidedbythis bookwillmakethepathtoourbrighterandsustainablefutureclearerandeasiertopursue.