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Less form, more substance

Friday, 14 October 2011 08:39am

©The Star (Used by permission)
Putik Lada By H. R. Dipendra

We want to transform ourselves into a high-income nation, yet we do not have well-defined substantive goals on how to achieve this.

THE tabling of the Budget has come and gone. Within the Budget, there is a crackle in the air about a general election looming and how the two are intertwined.

Everyone I met in the past week either lamented about the inadequacies of the Budget or praised the Budget for its over-generosity. It depends on who you ask.

Many young bourgeoisies that I spoke to inevitably reached the conclusion that there was nothing in the Budget for them and how disenfranchised they were.

The younger generation may not be entirely wrong if they spot a worrying trend emerging. With the global economy mired in uncertainty, Malaysia seems to be coasting along merrily.

Is Malaysia truly insulated from the aftershocks of the global financial crises or is Malaysia experiencing a calm before the storm?

While it appears that the country’s economic fundamentals are stable, my view is that we are not placing enough emphasis on development of human capital needed to achieve this country’s growth.

What I have seen so far suggests that we are masking a deep-rooted malaise by affixing the proverbial band-aid over many underlying issues without addressing the root cause of such malaise.

Malaysia, whether we like it or not, needs a new raison d’etre if it wants to stay competitive and to transform itself into a higher income nation.

We have done reasonably well over the years but surely we cannot forever rely on petroleum and palm oil to continue financing this country. We cannot forever be dependent on foreign labour to steer the country’s productivity forward.

By allowing the above externalities to determine our future direction, we are only placing ourselves in a position that we cannot control come the future.

Since 1997, we seem to be stuck at a level that slowly promises a descent to mediocrity. There has been too much scepticism about Malaysia’s intentions in transforming herself.

We place too much emphasis on form, and very little on substance. Scratch the surface deeper and our naked inadequacies and shortcomings are exposed.

Why is it that many professionals of my generation prefer to ply their trade in other markets like Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Australia? Why do they view Malaysia as nothing more than a retirement or holiday destination?

My view is that Malaysia has not focused on what she really wants.

We want to transform ourselves into a high-income nation, yet we do not have well-defined substantive goals on how we can achieve this.

If one studies the mechanics of any “high-income” nation, one would find that they all have one common feature – competitiveness. Being competitive is a key ingredient that is always present in “high income nations”.

Being competitive is easier said than done. But it requires a transformation.

Not transformation of form but that of substance. And by substance, I am referring to mental substance and where mentally, we need to raise our game to be competitive.

Being competitive requires mental resilience. Achieving mental resilience requires, among other things, the right and relevant education and skills.

All of the above, if strengthened, will enable Malaysians to compete against the very best. And by competing against the very best, we increase our ability and can well position ourselves to achieve greater success.

This includes achieving a higher income.

Malaysians need to spend a lot less effort on form and more on substance. We have sufficient (and frankly enough) infrastructure but we do not have the education and skills to match the infrastructure.

I believe that more money and effort should be poured into education and increasing the ability of the younger generation (including young professionals) to compete regionally.

With the liberalisation of Asean fast approaching, only a handful (and select few) Malaysians are truly equipped to withstand the liberalisation.

If we do not anticipate future trends and improve, we will find ourselves competing at the lower end or being subservient to advanced economies.

I do not want that. The nationalist in me would like to see Malaysia lead and not be led by countries whose intentions may be self serving.

Malaysia must be placed in a position that will allow it to control its own destiny.

And only by controlling our own destiny, we have truly arrived at a “high income” landing.

The time has come for all of us (and sadly, we cannot allow this to be fully determined in the realm of politicians) to anticipate what the future demands are and to set out an action plan immediately.

We cannot allow the 222 individuals we elect on a five-year basis to chart the future of the country. All Malaysians regardless of race, must play a part in this by constantly raising the ante when it comes to important decisions like this.

And we can do so by pressuring our politicians to think and act rightly. We can no longer get excited or feel indebted by small inconsequential improvements. We need that quantum leap into the future.

I would like to conclude by quoting this which I found circulating on the Internet: “10 years ago we had Steve Jobs, Bob Hope and Johnny Cash – Now we have no Jobs, no Hope and no Cash”.

I hope come the next decade the Malaysian younger generation would not find solace in this quote like many Americans do now.

> The writer is a young lawyer. Putik Lada, or pepper buds in Malay, captures the spirit and intention of this column – a platform for young lawyers to articulate their views and aspirations about the law, justice and a civil society. For more information about the young lawyers, visit www.malaysianbar.org.my.

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