Below is an article which I think many of us should read and take note of the points raised by the writer.
Wanted: A ‘bulldozer’ for Malaysia
Monday, 21 January 2008
By Ho Ying Chan
(The Straits Times) – PRESENT-DAY Singapore is undergoing rapid economic transformation. It has two key directions – first, turning Singapore into a metropolis, and second, nurturing and attracting the creative class.
Looking at metropolises worldwide, they are mainly modelled along the same lines as providers of high-end economic services and integrated entertainment all rolled into one.
Singapore has kept at building up its current strength – financial services – to make it ever more advanced, efficient and comprehensive. It strives to be on a par with the international financial centres of New York, London and Hong Kong.
Apart from this, Singapore is also aggressively developing its integrated entertainment sector, in which the key focus of development is on two integrated resorts – whose chief characteristics are casinos – to claim a market share alongside the main entertainment cities such as Macau and Las Vegas.
As a metropolis, Singapore also endeavours to brighten up and bring more glamour to its nightlife, packing the island state with merriment as well as arts and cultural activities after dark.
Meanwhile, it has also pioneered the idea of bringing in the first Formula One night race.
With this, images of Singapore will be transmitted to television viewers worldwide, who will thus become aware of the vibrant night scene in Singapore. This will strengthen Singapore’s branding as a charming city.
Based on local media reports and the numerous construction projects popping up around the business district, I can observe the economic metamorphosis of Singapore: It is steadily transforming itself into a metropolis.
In addition, it is starting to cultivate an all-new class called the creative class, built on the foundations of its vast group of middle-class citizens.
The ‘creative class’, a term coined by an American academic, refers to a group of highly imaginative and creative citizens.
Western economists point out that the United States economy is able to maintain its leading edge because it has a huge army of a creative class.
Societies that can groom and attract such a creative class from all corners of the world to make their homes there tend to display extremely high tolerance levels. As Western economists have noted, one commonality that such societies share is their receptiveness towards homosexuals.
Besides becoming more liberal in the areas of politics, economy, culture and education, Singapore is also beginning to loosen up in this area.
The generally conservative population is beginning to become more open-minded towards homosexuals in its society.
By thus expanding the society’s tolerance, Singapore is on its way to building up its creative class and providing brain-power resources for the different realms of the economy – especially in biotechnology, multimedia technology as well as culture and the arts.
With its economic growth averaging close to 7.5 per cent annually, Singapore is now the only country in the world with a developed-nation status still growing at developingnation rates.
The administration style of the Singapore Government bears a strong resemblance to that of a corporate CEO.
It relentlessly explores countless possibilities, which it clarifies and systematically organises into plans, before putting everything in place a step at a time with precision and steady execution – ultimately, turning ideals into reality.
Looking at Malaysia’s economic development, from its Multimedia Super Corridor to the recent Iskandar Development Region, these are visions with considerable foresight.
Nevertheless, they lack strong and reliable hands to execute them. There is too much saliva and too little sweat in Malaysia’s current political situation. Its politicians constantly work up antagonistic sentiments among the different races, and its economy lacks firm impetus.
What we need now is a hard-working political leader who will run the country in the style of a corporate CEO while at the same time seeking the welfare of the people.
The South Koreans picked Mr Lee Myung Bak, who has a CEO- style of governance, as their new president.
They believe Mr Lee has the driving force – as suggested by his nickname ‘the bulldozer’ – needed to take South Korea up more notches on the global ladder.
What Malaysia urgently needs now is not a political star with a degree from Oxford University under his belt, but a pragmatic and capable ‘bulldozer’. Where is our ‘bulldozer’?
Ho Ying Chan is a writer at Sin Chew Daily, where this commentary first appeared.
Translated from Chinese by Lee Choo Kiong.
