|
|
|
  |
| Sunday, 5 June 2005 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Mahathir dazzles on development by Wendell W. Solomons Dr. Mahathir Mohamed was speaking in Sri Lanka before business and administrative audiences in May 2005. Trained as a doctor of medicine, his appointment as Prime Minister of Malaysia in 1981 moved that country upwards from the rank of a post-colonial, agricultural raw-material supplier. Today, small Malaysia has advanced to 17th position in the world's list of trading nations that includes mammoth countries. "Beyond Existing Frontiers," Dr Mahathir Mohamed's first speech in Colombo, for its simplicity was a dazzling performance of 20 minutes. It came from a leader who had dumped the advice of IMF consultants and the hectoring of men like financial powerhouse George Soros so as to re-chart Malaysian development after the Asian financial meltdown. Agriculture vs industry Here is a frontier of mind erected in the 1950s by Western experts for countries like Sri Lanka, Mahathir's venue: they had you simply opt for agriculture instead of industry. Mahathir expressed his opinion very briefly. He took the position that in a situation of unemployment, one acre of land would support one farmer. If Malaysia made a choice instead of manufacturing industry, one acre of land would support 500 workers! The facts of economic history in the 20th Century saw farm machines and equipment push workers away in agricultural development worldwide. For the other part, as Dr Mathir Mohamed's note reflects, all countries that developed rapidly in modern Asia relied on manufacturing industry. Still, that 'agriculture-first' frontier of mind remains ingrained in several poor countries for the obvious reason of Western industrial protection (a wasteful tactic being forced into history's attic with China's and India's growth now.) Strategic planning When Mathir said "Beyond Existing Frontiers" he wasn't recommending leaps into darkness. For Malaysia, a priority had been noted in earning foreign exchange. So the physician PM and his advisors opted for high revenue earning, labour-intensive industry. In addition, Malaysia's leadership considered the world its market for sales. To push its market plans, Malaysia incorporated transparent government and business strategic planning not ad hoc crisis management or patronage. Malaysia's experience tells its economic growth emulators not to live in the fantasy of producing an array of products but rather to make a selective choice using marketing-driven strategic planing. Inspiring dignity and self-worth The frontier that Dr Mahathir Mohamed's talk dominantly described was that of the national psyche. Due to friction between ethnic groups of Malay, Indian and Chinese heritage, his country once thought that only Europeans could manage in Malaysia. So the country's leadership took on the huge task of instilling self-confidence in Malaysians. As Malaysians gradually moved into new manufacturing technologies they not only found themselves tackling functions they had not dreamt of. Not only did unemployment dry up. Pushing exports, Malaysia also opened its doors to foreign workers. Further, Malaysia moved towards cooperation with other countries adopting a policy of "Make your neighbour prosper." Dr. Mahathir did mention the alternative, "Make a beggar of your neighbour." That brought out in black and white the tactic of the neoliberal formula imposed for almost three decades on countries like Sri Lanka. Neoliberalism has sent countries to the wall by massaging an anti-social and anarchic individual conceit. As such, personal success today has become that of finding a neighbour on whom to dump one's mistakes - not a matter of cooperation in activity or enterprise. Climbing at the other man's expense breaks into a malevolent blame game. In closing his talk Dr Mahathir sounded the words, "Beyond Existing Frontiers." The blame game stood out as a clear example of a frontier of mind beyond
which to move to support justice, happiness and mutual prosperity in many a
country. |
|
||||||||
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
