INTRODUCTION
1. On behalf of the Party, I would like to extend our sincerest appreciation to Y.A.B. Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia and Chairman of Barisan Nasional, for his presence and agreement to officiate our Party’s 35th National Delegates Conference. In spite of his busy schedule, our Prime Minister has always made himself available for important functions of BN component parties as well as being close to them. We are thankful and motivated by his presence.
2. I would also like to welcome Barisan Nasional leaders, honourable guests, all delegates and observers to this conference.
3. To all party members and especially delegates to our National Delegates Conference, I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to you for being with me throughout my political journey as President of Parti Gerakan for more than a quarter century. I appreciate the unwavering support you have placed in me which has enabled me to lead Parti Gerakan to greater heights.
4. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a first step. More than 25 years ago, I was elected and I am glad that I took this first step to lead Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia and its members through the roughest, toughest but most eventful and rewarding political journey. Today, this journey is almost coming to a closure as I hope to pass the baton to my successor by early next year. But the struggle of the party in serving the nation and the society must continue. As this is my last address as the President of the Party, I would like to reflect on the present and to provide some feedback on how best I personally feel we should navigate the future.
The Spirit of Cooperation in Barisan Nasional
5. Leadership is a learning process. The old and the young can mutually learn from one another. The progress of a society should draw its momentum and strength from the experience of the old and the exuberance of the young.
6. Based on this principle, both the party and I have been very fortunate to have worked with many great leaders from the Barisan Nasional. As a political party, Gerakan has benefited immensely from the synergy created by the BN partnership. In many ways, the Malaysian success story is based on this spirit of ‘permuafakatan’ or the spirit of cooperation between different ethnic groups and between different age groups which is reflected in the BN coalition.
7. Our success is largely based on the ability of the government to adapt its strategy according to the challenges faced by the country at a particular time. We understood that what is effective in the past may be outdated today or inadequate tomorrow. To further develop, we accepted that continuous change is essential. For example, the speed of our microprocessor doubles every 18 months. We can continue to work at our own pace and refuse to upgrade a higher speed. But the undercurrent of change will sink us into oblivion.
8. Hence, from the time of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Abdul Razak, Tun Hussein Onn and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, these great leaders had adopted different leadership style, focused on different priorities and made different decisions to suit the period and challenges faced by their respective government. From the struggle for independence, the implementation of the New Economic Policy to the transition from a resource based to an industrial economy, each of the previous prime ministers had adopted his own leadership style to achieve the national development agenda. Their style may be different but the substance remained the same. Fortunately, the country has benefited from their flexibility and capability.
9. Similarly, Pak Lah believes in an old adage which said that “the strength of a nation is derived from the integrity of its homes”. Through his own brand of approachable leadership style, he appealed to us to “work with me and not for me”. Yet in his soft spoken approach, he has shown steel in the decisions he has made to curb corruption, to balance the senseless pursuit for materialism with an emphasis on good humanistic and religious values and to seek to improve the overall governance of the country. The decisions he made are driven by his affection for his countrymen and a sense of loyalty and responsibility to his beloved nation. For this sincere, fair and honest leader, we ask God to bless his premiership and we would like to urge all Malaysians to give him their utmost support. Parti Gerakan fully supports his leadership of the Government and the Party.
The 9th Malaysia Plan (9MP): An Answer to Globalisation
10. Like the previous plans, the 9MP is set to provide an impetus to accelerate our economic development in a sustainable basis and to ensure that we achieve the status of a developed country by the year 2020. The government is committed to the Vision 2020 and is definitely doing its best to achieve the growth target of 8 percent per annum. With less than 15 years to go, this is not an enviable task. Both internally and externally, Malaysia is facing real mid-to-long term challenges.
11. Externally, current global phenomenon such as increasing fuel price, growing inflationary pressure and rising interest rates are impediments to our economic performance. Potentially, we are facing a slowdown in the US economy, which is our biggest export market, next year. On the other hand, the emergence of regional manufacturing hubs such as China, India and Vietnam is eroding the competitive advantage of our manufacturing sector. Time will come when China is no longer interested in buying our low technology components when its own domestic companies can manufacture them cheaper and better than ours. Moreover, we can expect competition for both FDI and skilled human resources from these countries to intensify.
12. Malaysia must find its new niches and new areas of growth quickly. We cannot be merely satisfied with doing the same thing and using the same approach over again. The nation must be ready to embrace new approaches and new ideas. In short, we have to ‘think out of the box’ and to be more creative in reinventing our economy to avoid a direct collision with these emerging economies.
13. Both the 9MP and the Third Industrial Master Plan (IMP3) are focusing on developing high technology and knowledge intensive activities in areas like biotechnology, electronics, information technology, petrochemicals, aerospace and maritime and advanced manufacturing. The government has recently announced its plan to build an integrated services and logistics hub in the South Johor Economic Corridor. Similarly, the eastern and northern economic corridors are in the pipeline.
14. It is obvious that the government is playing an important catalyst role in promoting these new areas of growth. But Malaysian companies must not be passive players. We have to ensure that our participation in these sectors is meaningful and should result in the creation of new technologies, innovations and products which can be commercialised. For example, our rich biodiversity is an attraction to major biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. An invitation to the multinational and foreign companies to share our rich biodiversity must be reciprocated with a significant transfer of technology, scientific knowledge and research methodology to our local companies and scientists.
15. Our effort to integrate the Malaysian economy with the biggest economies in the world is evident and on-going. We have entered into a free trade agreement with Japan and in the next few months, pending trade negotiations, with the US. At the ASEAN level, we have established an economic partnership agreement with China and are expected to explore a bigger role for the European Union in our regional economy.
16. The economic relations are expected to gain better access for our exports into these markets. However, while continuous economic liberalisation is inevitable it is also a double edged sword. In return, we have to lower our own protectionist barriers to allow bigger and stronger foreign companies into our domestic market. Moreover, a free trade agreement with a developed country does not guarantee immediate access to our products and services if they do not meet international standards or customer requirements.
17. As such, all Malaysian companies should double their efforts on creating real competencies. More resources should be allocated for R&D activities and staff training and development. Our companies cannot aspire to become world-class organisations if they are not willing to embrace the competitive culture. The international markets do not offer us any protection. We should not expect a perpetual protection from the government. Moreover, it is impossible to survive and thrive by playing in our backyard alone especially in a globalised world.
18. Internally, Malaysians must be ready for a mindset shift. To be competitive, we need to foster a labour force that has the right attitudes and ability to compete with the world’s best. However brilliantly a plan is written, it is bound to fail if we do not have the right people to implement it.
Enhancing Human Capital
Saudara-saudari,
19. In the 9MP, the government has identified the enhancement of human capital as one of its major thrusts. In his maiden speech as a prime minister, Pak Lah has emphasised on the need to match our first-class infrastructure with a first-class mentality. He realised that Malaysia needs a dynamic, highly skilled and dependable labour force to sustain our high economic growth and to attract global companies to invest in us. On the other hand, he saw the need to balance our material development through the inculcation of strong moral and ethical values in our people. Hence, he places a high priority on progressive and positive family values and faith in God – all under the auspices of Islam Hadhari.
20. With such a powerful vision, we have to take bold steps in overhauling our learning culture to promote smart learning. Several weaknesses in our education system must be addressed quickly. First, our schools in either urban or rural areas must be fully equipped with basic amenities and facilities. In our quest to become a developed nation by the year 2020, it is inconceivable to find some of these schools do not even have basic facilities or in such deplorable conditions that made them unsafe for use. Many schools in urban areas especially the vernacular Chinese schools are overcrowded and their condition must be given immediate attention.
21. Second, the growing number of unemployable graduates is a sign of brewing social discontent and a sheer waste of good human resource. Most of the reported 60,000 graduates who are looking for employment graduated from our public universities. Many companies are looking for highly skilled graduates with a good technical foundation and communication skills.
22. If vacancies are available, there should not be graduate unemployment. Hence, the mismatch between university curricula and employer requirements must be addressed immediately. Our local academia should not be overly complacent. The disciple is only as good as his master. I propose that we should emphasis on quality over quantity. Another dilemma, the relentless paper chase has created a proliferation of institutions of higher learning which offer paper qualifications and not quality education. Perhaps a proper and merit-based ranking system for all institutions of higher learning in the country is a good start to weed out mediocrity. A key indicator should be the employability of its graduates.
23. This leads us to the need to promote institutional integrity in our country, another key thrust of Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Abdullah Badawi’s administration.
Institutional Integrity and Implementation Machinery
24. In April 2004, the Prime Minister launched the National Integrity Plan (NIP) to overcome our institutional weaknesses and shortcomings through the strengthening of ethics and integrity. The formulation of the NIP is predicated upon the spirit, principles and aspirations of the Federal Constitution, the Rukun Negara and the Vision 2020.
25. He outlined five important targets to be achieved by the year 2008:
- Effectively reduce corruption, malpractices and abuse of power,
- Increase efficiency of the public delivery system and overcome bureaucratic red tape,
- Enhance corporate governance and business ethics,
- Strengthen the family institution; and
- Improve the quality of life and people’s well-being
26. As a Prime Minister who walked his talk, Pak Lah has clamed down hard on corrupt politic leaders especially those entrusted with important public offices, civil servants and others. The proposal to the establishment of an Independent Police Compliant and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) by the Royal Commission of Inquiry, which was accepted by the prime minister, is a testimony of the his seriousness in curbing the possibility of power abuse. Parti Gerakan is firmly behind the prime minister’s decision to establish the IPCMC which is consistent with our party’s objective of promoting the rule of law and greater social justice for all Malaysians.
27. In his quest to enhance the efficiency of public delivery system, the prime minister has established a working committee at the Cabinet level – which he chairs - to monitor the implementation of public projects. Key performance indicators will be imposed on these projects and the government is adamant on paying only for projects that meet its requirements and quality standards. Wastage of public resources is no longer tolerated. In the 8th Malaysia Plan, failed projects and late deliveries cost the public almost RM20 billion. Even state governments and local authorities are not spared in the effort to improve the public delivery system. Through the participation of the public, civil society and mass media, the approach which involves the synergy of institutions ‘from below’ and those ‘from above’ has proven to be effective in helping to expose instances of poor governance.
28. Reform of government-linked companies (GLCs) such as MAS, Tenaga Nasional, Telekom, Proton and others is still on-going. The main intention of the reform agenda is not to disintegrate these companies but to enhance their level of corporate governance and business ethics. The outcome of the reform will benefit all Malaysians in the form of better services from the GLCs. Like other corporations, the GLCs must earn their keep and fulfil their national obligations. Moreover, the call for both transparency and accountability in the management and operations of GLCs’ is getting louder.
29. As a firm believer in a strong family institution, the Prime Minister has created a ministry to look into the family affairs of Malaysians. On the outset, this sounds like a mundane task. But statistics showing a huge number of school dropouts, drug addiction cases and rising criminal offences committed by our youths are alarming. The dilemma points to the deterioration of family institution where parents are often too busy to earn a living until they neglect the upbringing of their children.
30. The strategic aim of the NIP is to improve the quality of life and the well-being of all Malaysians. Of course, more can be done especially in the areas of providing better public transport system, protecting the environment and lowering crime rates. Nonetheless, we must remember that this responsibility is not the government’s alone. Malaysians should ask themselves what they can do for the country and not what the country can do for them.
The Creation of a Truly Bangsa Malaysia
Saudara-saudari,
31. In less than a year, we will be celebrating the 50th year of our independence. In the last 49 years, Malaysia has transformed from a raw resource-based producer to one of the biggest trading countries in the world. Our tremendous progress had inspired countries such as South Korea, Taiwan and other developing countries to follow a similar pattern of development. The foundation of our success rested on a stable political environment, a solid governance and a harmonious society. Malaysia is often hailed as a model nation for its ability to manage a multiethnic society without the presence of major conflicts.
32. However, we should not take our good fortune for granted. Signs of polarisation must be checked quickly to ensure that the 49 years of good efforts invested in nation building are not going to a waste. Living in a multiethnic and multicultural society, we have to adopt greater flexibility and openness in our approach and mindset. It is easy to reject and ignore what we do not understand. Nevertheless, the reality is you cannot cast others who are not similar with you away. Malaysia started as a multiethnic and multicultural nation and we will remain this way for a long time unless we let ourselves be drawn into dangerous ethno-religious silos. It is essential that we recognise our similarities and celebrate our diversity. The only way for us to survive and thrive in this world is to join hands and work together.
33. Forging a true national unity is another ‘top’s down’ and ‘bottom’s up’ project. Participation from all segments of the society is critical. Hence, all activities and programmes aimed at cultivating better inter-ethnic relations must be carefully monitored and reviewed to ensure that there is no fundamental contradiction between the objective and the end result.
34. For example, a good effort to introduce a module on ethnic relations at the public universities has created unnecessary controversy over the language used in writing the study guide. I propose that we should move on, look forward and be more positive in our approach to cultivate better ethnic relations. What is the purpose of looking backward and argue about who or which community had sacrificed more than the others? At any particular time, some of us are bound to give more and take less or vice versa. More importantly is the collective efforts and the spirit of cooperation of all Malaysians which have contributed towards the success of Malaysia. In this regard, one of the most significant political aspirations of Parti Gerakan is to foster the creation of a truly Bangsa Malaysia that adopts the fine elements from all communities.
35. Consistent with the previous administrations, I am thankful that our present prime minister is very passionate about national unity. He declared himself as the Prime Minister of All Malaysians and has vowed to assist all regardless of race and creed, especially the less fortunate segment of the society. This is another hallmark of a caring, sincere and honest leader.
Reinventing Gerakan
Saudara-saudari,
36. The party has launched an ambitious reinvention programme in 2003 and I would like to once again request for your full commitment to the struggle. One of our objectives is to rejuvenate the party as a learning and intelligent political organisation capable of initiating political innovation and change. I hope this is not merely an abstract concept which ended up with business as usual.
37. Lofty targets must be replaced with achievable and measurable targets. Over the last few years, the party has added to its physical infrastructure with the completion of the Menara PGRM 2 and other state-level headquarters. It is time that we look into the improvement of our soft infrastructure or brainware. Just like any other organisations, human capital is the most important element of Parti Gerakan’s success. The party leadership must be proactive in seeking out to encourage people who are passionate about national issues and the national development agenda to contribute their knowledge, ideas and enthusiasm via Parti Gerakan. For those sleeping members, it is time to wake them up or ship them out.
38. If we are not careful, opportunism is becoming a political malaise in our party. The opportunists are members who are waiting for their self-interests to be served instead of serving the interests of the society. Politics is about serving and giving back to the nation what you took from it. It takes a good leader to identify and differentiate the opportunists from the real members.
39. Good leadership is responsible for the welfare of the group and not the welfare of certain individuals. As a result, some people will get angry at your actions and decision. A good leader is not a crowd pleaser or a populist.
40. In the words of a prominent leader, trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity. A good leader should not avoid making tough decisions, afraid of confronting the people who need to be confronted and refrain from offering rewards based on merit because people might get upset. He warned that by procrastinating on the difficult choices and by trying to please everyone, you will end up angering and disappointing the most creative and productive people in the organisation.
41. The new leadership of Parti Gerakan should build their political foundation on fairness, justice, compassion and meritocracy. Only then, the reinvention of Parti Gerakan will create a desirable outcome and a hope for the members and its supporters.
Conclusion
42. Both Malaysia and Parti Gerakan are at the crossroads. As a nation, we must make smart decisions and take smart actions to survive and to excel on the world stage. Being an optimist, I am confident that we can succeed if we are able to foster a strong partnership between all ethnic groups in Malaysia to create a dynamic, progressive and knowledgeable Bangsa Malaysia.
43. As a political party, the present and future leaders of Parti Gerakan must be willing to make tough decisions and take unpopular actions to adjust to the new political reality. Being a true and loyal Gerakanist, I would like to see Parti Gerakan reinvent itself as a political party that is proactive and responsive to the needs of a modern Malaysia. I hope all leaders and members of Parti Gerakan will rise up to the challenge.
44. I would like to thank you again for your support, words of encouragement and trust in me to lead the Party for all these years. I have the greatest confidence that the Party through its new leadership is in safe hands. I thank you once again. I now have great pleasure in inviting Y.A.B. Dato’ Seri Abdullah Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia and Chairman of Barisan Nasional to address us and to officiate Parti Gerakan’s 35th National Delegates Conference 2006.
Thank you.
