What Is Malaysia : Part 1

1. For the last 450 years, we have been prisoned on our land, defined by the colonists and the traitors. This harsh and hard experiences had thought us many. From the decline of the Sultanate of Malacca to the establishment of Federation of Malaysia, we can begin to identify how :

• a once colonised nation is now independent;
• a once poor and undeveloped country is now moving forward, towards Wawasan 2020;
• a country one characterised by high unemployment, now enjoys record employment;
• a country on a rising tide of confidence can now aspire to become one of the great success of the new global economy.

2. But if we are to fully realise the human and economic potential of Malaysia, my view is that we need something more. Indeed, we have seen how we took a huge economic lift during the 80's and the 90's, but since then, Malaysia has been damaged by the absence of agreement on social and economic purpose or direction: lurching for narrow political reasons from one short-term economic panacea to another that deprived our businesses and our workforce of confidence about the long-term and held our country back.

3. Furthermore, we need to believe that, there a more than just to face up to global competition from our Asian neighbours as well as Europe and America. The question revolve around the idea, do we have the strength as a country to make the hard choice on priorities that will determine our success story?

4. Creating a shared national purpose also reflect a deeper need to rediscover a clear and confident sense of who we are as country. Bear with me that every central question about our national future - from our constitution to our global role as nation, from public policy to the challenges of multi-culturalism - can only be answered of we are clear about what we value about being a Malaysian and what give us purpose and direction as a country.