China and India are like 2 big balloons on either side of Malaysia. If we really want to, we can be the kite master, that is, before Singapore beat us to it.
With a combined population of more than 2 billion (China est. 1,321,851,888 (July 2007 est. http://wikitravel.org/en/China, and India 1,129,866,154 (July 2007 est.) https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/in.html ) and economies taking to the skies, flying balloons can take a whole new dimension.
We are busy launching a lot of industrial clusters (or development corridors, as we call it), but that does not make so much sense anymore. Of course the guy who started it all off, the venerable Harvard don, Professor Porter has a perpetual grin knowing the world has really cottoned to his theory.
Regional economic clusters make sense for a large country like the US, as they can set off synergies from vast resources they have. Remember, they have more of the most important resources of all - the capacity of its people for innovation and invention.
If Singapore was running Malaysia, I think this is what they'll do: become trend-setters in art and fashion, become the region's financial, medical and academic hub. And tourism - well, we haven't even scratched the surface yet.
Why do you think we are slow in recognising emerging trends? Because we are not producing enough brains. Our U's are languishing in the quagmire of mediocrity. It is the worst type of vicious circle.
We must tap the best available brains of the world. We must get the best advice in planning beyond 2020. Improving the performance of our educational institutions must take primacy. Then we have to have specific plans for infrastructural development. Let the standards of our buildings and roads and other infrastructural facilities match (dare I say surpass?) world standards. We have to stand out.
We must dare dream of great things for our future.
No comments:
Post a Comment