Firstly, as Chairman of the Penang Institute, I wish to thank everyone who has come to attend this event. The launch of the Penang Institute in Kuala Lumpur, or PI in KL as we call it, is a momentous occasion as it marks the next step forward in the evolution of our think tank.
Although established back in 1997 as the Socio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute, it did not truly bloom until we rebranded, reorganised and revitalised it into the aptly-named Penang Institute in late 2011, shortly following my appointment as the Chairman of the Board. Together with a new name, we also steered the institute into a new direction under world-renowned economist and Penang boy, Prof Dato’ Woo Wing Thye.
Since then, we have also embraced a new mantra – “Making Ideas Work.” This slogan signifies what Penang Institute seeks to do, which is not only to produce great ideas, but to ensure that these ideas are translated into real, actionable policies. This is because we believe ideas alone are not enough if they are not implementable.
One example of this in action is the Penang Paradigm, the 2013-2023 10-year development blueprint produced by the Penang Institute for the state of Penang. Some of you may be familiar with this document, which sets out to build a framework for creating an international and intelligent city that is economically dynamic, liveable and sustainable, and one that provides democratic empowerment and social justice for all.
In the process of crafting the Penang Paradigm, we also held public exhibitions in the Klang Valley. This was done not only to seek views and feedback from those in the capital, but also because we firmly believe that what is good for Penang is also good for Malaysia. Much of Penang’s success in the last five years stems from policies that can easily be replicated on the national stage, such as open competitive tenders, compulsory asset declarations of elected representatives, legislation to enable freedom of information as well as governance based on Competency, Accountability and Transparency.
Penang topped the investment charts with the highest FDI from 2010 to August 2013 with RM19.7 billion or nearly 20% of Malaysia’s total FDI in manufacturing. Penang has also built upon its traditional manufacturing base by venturing into value-added manufacturing as well as research and design, while at the same time expanding the services sector into advanced services such as business process outsourcing (BPO). Our BPO hub is the next stage of moving to a higher level of a fully fledged services industry that is internationally rated following Penang’s success in attracting large investments by the likes of Wilmar (the USD16 billion edible oil giant) Air Asia and Citigroup who with a headcount of 1,000 handling USD 5.2 trillion in credit transactions globally each year.
As such, the setting up of PI in KL is extremely relevant, because we will be able to share the Penang experience with our friends on the national stage. It will also allow us to seek new ideas that will help spur Malaysia and Penang’s drive to become a high-income and knowledge-intensive economy. Answering questions of the economic response to income stagnation at a time of rising prices is crucial as well as the proper solution to declining educational standards. At the same time, PI in KL would allow Penang to be exposed to the wider pool of creativity, energetic ideas, muscular thinking, practical innovation and intellectual capital available in our nation’s capital.
The most decisive factor for PI to come here is that to achieve our ambition to be one of the best think-tanks in Malaysia, PI has to be in KL.In addition, our KL office will also play a crucial role in engaging and connecting with the Penang diaspora in KL, as well as providing a platform for international speakers. In recent years, Penang Institute has had the great fortune of hosting luminaries such as former Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajivat, former Indonesian President BJ Habibie and Islamic scholar Prof Tariq Ramadan as speakers in our events.
While talent has been a key ingredient in the success of the Penang Institute in the last few years, the same will be the case for PI in KL. Therefore, I am very pleased to announce the appointments of two very learned persons who will be leading the team here.
Firstly, we have appointed YB Dr Ong Kian Ming as the General Manager of PI in KL. He is the Member of Parliament for Serdang and a renowned scholar with distinguished academic credentials, having earned a PhD from Duke University, a Masters in Philosophy from Cambridge and an undergraduate degree from the London School of Economics.
Secondly, it is with great honour that I introduce the head of research and Fellow of PI in KL, Prof Dr Aziz Bari. Dr Aziz is an outspoken Malaysian scholar and expert in the field of constitutional law. As most of you are aware, he was formerly with the International Islamic University, which suspended him in 2011. He may not be appreciated by some, but Penang certainly values his contributions.
We see a hunger for change. Changemakers need not only new but practical ideas However, change can only happen with pragmatic policies that work and action-oriented policies that makes a difference in their lives. People only grasp good governance if they can see, touch and feel the improvement in public delivery, grasp the benefits of fighting corruption if they can obtain real economic benefits and believe in change if we bring hope to the future – the essence of changemakers.
I am confident that the brave and brainy team of Dr Ong and Dr Aziz will be able to lead PI in KL to help both PI and Penang grow as well as help us find more changemakers that “make ideas work”. Thank you.