The Need for Speed
In the movie "Top Gun", Tom Cruise's character used to say about their fighter jet flying - "I feel the need - the need for SPEED".
Sometimes, I think that's what Malaysia needs too.
I went to see the senior management of Rock Solid Partner, today. It's about the Even Bigger Program, that we were supposed to start working on, next month. What they told me, shocked me.
Apparently, the Chief of Rock Solid Partner, wanted to the Prime Minister to endorse the program first, (even though it's really not necessary, it's more protocol than anything else) before launching it. And this would be in late August and with all the approvals needed thereafter - the Even Bigger Program would only be launched in November/December!
We're going to hold up a national program of importance for 6 months, because protocol in Malaysia requires that the PM endorse it. :( This despite the fact that we've been in discussions over this, for the last 10 months! And repeated assurances that everything is on track, timing-wise.
I know this could happen in the bureaucracy of any country - but it frustrates me, when even one of our better semi-Government organizations, fall to this disease of "tunggu sekejap". These are bright people, cream of the crop - but the culture still remains so old world.
There is no sense of urgency - it's like living in a world where we are blissfully unaware (or choose to be unaware) of the international competition that other countries, are posing to us.
China's hollowing out all our low value chain manufacturing advantage - the price differential is so huge, that even better quality products may not make a difference. And we're not moving up the value chain, fast enough, either. At the other end of the value chain, for instance in ICT, the other giant, India, is way ahead of us, producing market-savvy ICT graduates by the hundred thousands every year.
Thailand's got their equivalent of a Mahathir and are starting to make better foreign cars, than us. And our agriculture sector, is nowhere near theirs, except maybe in palm oil. Young people are not doing agriculture (and are probably not inspired to) - where will we get the workforce to work in the farms and fields?
And the Philippines? With the high level of English literacy there, if the corruption halted even for just a while, they would leapfrog us, as a service economy. They've got all the right elements which investors from developing countries love - they're cheap, westernized, educated, friendly and the women are dead pretty.
Let's not talk about Singapore. Their local economy may not be viable for long, but their strategic international ownership of firms globally held under their GLCs, is impressive. And it will keep them afloat, for quite a while.
We're nowhere near, the league of Korea and Taiwan. Not culturally, not exposure-wise, not from a population perspective, not quality-wise or from an international benchmarking perspective, not from a collaboration with foreigners, in view of getting a larger piece of the market. Identity means nothing without economic survival.
And they don't even live in our multi-racial realities, where we need to "balance" the economic interest of many races, for political stability.
Our civil service, frustrates even the efforts of the noble-intentioned Prime Minister. Our politicians are more interested in making money and Parliament, until very recently, never had any researchers - all this while, a breeding system of the elected and ill-informed. Is it any wonder that issues like the airline costumes of female stewardesses, are being debated in Parliament on taxpayers' time and money?
Where is our sense of urgency? How long will it be, before this feudal culture sacrifices the fate of future generations and buries this country for good? And will God continue to help a country, that keeps working at killing itself? Patriotism without a proper sense of priorities in governance, will destroy a country.
This country needs the speed. Desperately. More importantly, it needs to prioritize the important and the urgent, over and above the social context. We need to stop tip-toeing and start walking and running.
Economically, the world is an unforgiving place. Lose the advantage (whatever we have left that is) and Malaysia will start feeling the painful pinch. And believe me, our so-called national unity will be truly tested, then.
These words have been ringing inside my head for the last few days - "Malaysia: Love it or Leave it". Don't know what it means yet, but I'll find out - soon. I can feel it, in my bones.
Sometimes, I think that's what Malaysia needs too.
I went to see the senior management of Rock Solid Partner, today. It's about the Even Bigger Program, that we were supposed to start working on, next month. What they told me, shocked me.
Apparently, the Chief of Rock Solid Partner, wanted to the Prime Minister to endorse the program first, (even though it's really not necessary, it's more protocol than anything else) before launching it. And this would be in late August and with all the approvals needed thereafter - the Even Bigger Program would only be launched in November/December!
We're going to hold up a national program of importance for 6 months, because protocol in Malaysia requires that the PM endorse it. :( This despite the fact that we've been in discussions over this, for the last 10 months! And repeated assurances that everything is on track, timing-wise.
I know this could happen in the bureaucracy of any country - but it frustrates me, when even one of our better semi-Government organizations, fall to this disease of "tunggu sekejap". These are bright people, cream of the crop - but the culture still remains so old world.
There is no sense of urgency - it's like living in a world where we are blissfully unaware (or choose to be unaware) of the international competition that other countries, are posing to us.
China's hollowing out all our low value chain manufacturing advantage - the price differential is so huge, that even better quality products may not make a difference. And we're not moving up the value chain, fast enough, either. At the other end of the value chain, for instance in ICT, the other giant, India, is way ahead of us, producing market-savvy ICT graduates by the hundred thousands every year.
Thailand's got their equivalent of a Mahathir and are starting to make better foreign cars, than us. And our agriculture sector, is nowhere near theirs, except maybe in palm oil. Young people are not doing agriculture (and are probably not inspired to) - where will we get the workforce to work in the farms and fields?
And the Philippines? With the high level of English literacy there, if the corruption halted even for just a while, they would leapfrog us, as a service economy. They've got all the right elements which investors from developing countries love - they're cheap, westernized, educated, friendly and the women are dead pretty.
Let's not talk about Singapore. Their local economy may not be viable for long, but their strategic international ownership of firms globally held under their GLCs, is impressive. And it will keep them afloat, for quite a while.
We're nowhere near, the league of Korea and Taiwan. Not culturally, not exposure-wise, not from a population perspective, not quality-wise or from an international benchmarking perspective, not from a collaboration with foreigners, in view of getting a larger piece of the market. Identity means nothing without economic survival.
And they don't even live in our multi-racial realities, where we need to "balance" the economic interest of many races, for political stability.
Our civil service, frustrates even the efforts of the noble-intentioned Prime Minister. Our politicians are more interested in making money and Parliament, until very recently, never had any researchers - all this while, a breeding system of the elected and ill-informed. Is it any wonder that issues like the airline costumes of female stewardesses, are being debated in Parliament on taxpayers' time and money?
Where is our sense of urgency? How long will it be, before this feudal culture sacrifices the fate of future generations and buries this country for good? And will God continue to help a country, that keeps working at killing itself? Patriotism without a proper sense of priorities in governance, will destroy a country.
This country needs the speed. Desperately. More importantly, it needs to prioritize the important and the urgent, over and above the social context. We need to stop tip-toeing and start walking and running.
Economically, the world is an unforgiving place. Lose the advantage (whatever we have left that is) and Malaysia will start feeling the painful pinch. And believe me, our so-called national unity will be truly tested, then.
These words have been ringing inside my head for the last few days - "Malaysia: Love it or Leave it". Don't know what it means yet, but I'll find out - soon. I can feel it, in my bones.
posted by Stingrayz | 2:28 AM
5 Comments:
Is there such a thing as love it AND leave it?
I've been scanning the papers in both Indonesia and Singapore (nothing much to do but scan the papers... ;-) and I totally agree with you.
Other countries are reporting their fight against corruption on a daily basis while we sweep things under the carpet.
Other countries are unfolding new policies and deals, on a weekly basis, while we wait and wait and wait.
We should announce a new national event: The Great Malaysian Wait.
Tell it like it is, Najah! :)
You know, there was that book on South Africa and Mandela called "A Nation in Waiting".
Well, if they wrote a book about Malaysia, it might be called "Malaysia: National Development in Waiting - A Guide to being surpassed in the globalized economy".
Let's hope that book never gets written!
I was gonna write something... but I think I'll wait :-)
Check out tony Puah's thoughts on overseas Malaysians in his blog:
http://educationmalaysia.blogspot.com/2005/05/very-frightened-malaysian-abroad.html
Thanks for the reference, LastJan.
I don't disagree that someone's got to make the change, so we should be encouraging capable Malaysians to come home.
The only question is in my mind is this: will increasing the number of players at the fringe (mostly, non-political participants) improve the situation, when the core (the politicians and the ethnic-based pervasive political system in Malaysia) is the one that rules the roost?
The education system is the perfect example of how the political system has compromised current and future generations, in Malaysia. Res Ipsa Loquitur (The thing speaks for itself)
Are we encouraging more Malaysians to come back, to become frustrated, despite all good intentions?
Is there a point to having more good "passengers" (non-political players), when there too few that want to learn to steer (i.e. be in the political system and change it from the inside) the country?
I'm as great a believer and patriot as Tony Puah in Malaysia's potential, if not more.
But from my experience so far, a political system which deters participation from those most willing to serve, and a weak civil society in Malaysia to act as a check and counterbalance to the ruling coalition, weakens the likelihood of positive change.
I don't agree with revolutions, but considering the challenging circumstances in the world today, (and our delicate and substantially racially-polarized political mix) at the very least, Malaysia would need an "aggressive evolution" to survive.
And it has to start happening, NOW. Or one day, older Malaysians can only recount past glories, when things were good. Hopefully, not from Australian shores.
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