For Malaysia to win the future we must not only invest in human talent but also implement people-centric policies
As Malaysia’s celebrates our 55th Merdeka celebrations, the critical question is how can Malaysia escape the middle-income trap and become a high-income and developed economy by 2020. The 2012 Wealth Report, recently released by Knight Frank and CitiPrivate Wealth, identified the key drivers of growth as human capital, a dynamic business environment, capital mobility, openness to trade and foreign direct investment.
The 2012 Inclusive Wealth Report 2012 by the United Nations stresses on human capital as a definition of a nation's true wealth. In other words if we want to win the future we build, retain and attract human talent. For Malaysia to win the future we must not only invest in human talent but also implement people-centric policies that match ability and opportunity.
The time has come to focus on people-centric policies that makes Malaysians more united and competitive, operating in an eco-system that enjoys integrity in leadership and good governance. Malaysians must not allow ourselves to be distracted by cronies who wants to divide us with mediocrity as well as provoke racial and religious hatred so that cronies can continue to rob our country with bad governance and corruption.
The various transformation programmes carried out by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak will finally fail so long as there is no open tenders, public declaration of assets, full disclosure of government contracts or transparent and accountable decision-making by government institutions. This was most evident when a Malaysia Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ACCCIM) survey discovered 72.9% of Malaysia’s Chinese business community are unhappy with the state of the economy and are not optimistic of Malaysia’s success in escaping the middle-income trap.
With many small and medium enterprises or SME’s not benefiting from BN’s government’s transformation programmes, SME’s faces increase in operating costs and prices of raw materials, shortage in manpower, and domestic competition. The latest attempt to punish whistle-blowers such as PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli for exposing the RM250 million National Feedlot “cows and condos” scandal, only highlights the singular lack of commitment towards fighting corruption.
Malaysians must unite based on common values of justice, freedom, equal opportunity, integrity and fair competition so that we reward not just hard work and honesty but ensures that the rich or the poor, the skilled or unskilled can find rewarding work to live in dignity.
